What You Did
by DragonKatGal
Summary: --Complete-- BTVS HP Crossover. Buffy'n'Draco. Set in Season Three, Buffy is sent to Hogwarts after the murder of the Deputy Mayor. --NEW: Chapters 49&50 & Sneak Preview of New Fic--
1. What I Did?

What You Did

NOTE:  People seemed to want a B/Dr 'shipping story, and I figured, why not.  Thank you to Dawn (or Olivia, dunno what you prefer) for giving me a suggestion of when to set it!

SETTINGS: During 'Consequences'.

SUMMARY: Faith blames Buffy for the death of the Deputy Mayor.  What if Faith had been believed?

SPOILERS: All of Season Three of BTVS.  Up to Book Four of HP.  Set in their seventh year, so everyone is 18.  

DISCLAIMER: Not mine.

RATING: PG-13.

SECOND NOTE: In the episode, Buffy goes to Willow first.  Pretend she doesn't.  She goes straight to Giles.  Buffy and Angel aren't together.  They're still in that 'poor us, we can never be together, blah blah blah' phase they've got working for them.  Basically, Angel's not an issue.

ONWARDS:

CHAPTER ONE: WHAT I DID?

**Friday, January 29th 1999**

Buffy walked into the library, guilt settling heavily in her stomach.  She couldn't believe how badly things had gone.  The murder had been a complete accident, but Faith couldn't even admit to what had happened.  It hadn't been anyone's fault, but Faith didn't even want to admit that she'd played any part in it.  

Buffy knew she should have gone to Giles the second it had happened.  She'd had more than enough chance to tell him after the battle with Balthazar and the El Eliminati, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to tell him.  But that was why she was at the library.  To tell him.  To get his guidance.

"Giles?" she called.  She couldn't believe how shaky her voice was.  She was afraid, scared out of her wits.  She just wanted this feeling of guilt to go away. 

Someone emerged from Giles' office, but it wasn't her Watcher that she desperately wanted to talk to.  It was the new Watcher that had been assigned to she and Faith.

"Buffy," Wesley greeted.

There was something in his voice, a tone that she didn't particularly like.  Then again, it could have just been the fact that she didn't particularly like Wesley that made her question his tone.

"Where's Giles?" Buffy asked.

Buffy noticed Wesley turn his head slightly, and movement from behind him in the doorway to his office swung Buffy's attention away from the new Watcher.  Buffy could only hope that it was Giles coming out of the office. Unfortunately for Buffy, it was Faith who stood in the doorway, staring at Buffy with a steely gaze.  

"Faith-" Buffy whispered.  She could hear Faith's last words to her from the afternoon.  

_No, you don't get it…I don't care._

"Buffy," Faith replied.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"I had to tell him," Faith said, sounding scarily reassuring.

"You told him?" Buffy repeated, completely surprised.

"I had to," Faith said.  "He had to know what you did."

"What I did?" 

She looked at Faith in confusion and comprehension dawned on her.  Faith was completely setting her up. 

"What?!  No. Tha-that's just not what happened," Buffy said, looking at the new Watcher, desperation in her eyes.

"I don't want to hear it, Buffy," Wesley said coldly.

"No! It…" 

"I don't want to hear any lies," he said.

"You can't be serious!" Buffy said, turning to Faith, her voice rising with panic.   "You're setting me up?"

"Get in the office, now," Wesley ordered.  "Faith, I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Wesley, please, you have to…" __

"Now!" he said.  

Faith walked around from behind Wesley as Buffy began to walk into his office.  As Faith got towards the door, she turned back to look at Wesley, swallowing hard.  She couldn't believe she'd just got away with that.  It had been too easy.

"Um…sorry," Faith said.  She turned and walked away quickly, wanting to be as far away from that place as possible.

His eyes followed her for a moment until he turned and walked into his office.  

"Wesley, I didn't do this. I swear. Look, I know that I messed up badly, but the murder, i-it…it was…"

"An accident," he finished.  "But Buffy…you need to admit what you've done.  You'll…you'll never get past it if you're unable to tell me truth."

"Wesley, no!" Buffy yelled.

Wesley stepped forward and stood incredibly close to his Slayer who suddenly realised how incredibly tall the man in front of her really was.

"I've had enough of your lies," he said, his voice quiet.  "I realise you're upset, but you have no right to lie to my face like this."

"Wesley, please…you can't possibly think-"

"The Council is on their way," Wesley said.

Buffy's heart jumped to her throat. She hadn't been expecting that.

"What?"

"You're to stand trial before them."

Her mind went blank.  The Council.   She couldn't believe that this was happening.  Wesley stepped away from her and turned to the desk.  He opened the drawer and took out a small wooden box that made Buffy's heart run rampant.  She recognised that box.

_It's an organic compound of muscle relaxants and adrenal suppressers._

She froze in horror, remembering the complete terror of what had happened to her whilst that drug had been in her system.  Before she could even think of moving, Wesley gripped her arm tightly and had administered the injection without any second thought.  She felt the drug rush through her system, working far faster than any of Giles' injections had worked.  Obviously Wesley had given her a higher dose to make the effects faster.

She pushed him away, but he held on tightly.  She tried to force his hand away, but without her strength it was no use.  

"I'd prefer to do this without violence," Wesley told her.

She struggled again, trying futilely to get away.  She kicked his shins, and he finally snapped.  With his free hand he backhanded her across the face, sending her stumbling as he finally let her go.  She fell against the couch in Giles' office.

Wesley stood over her and forced her to lie flat on the floor, face-down.  He grabbed her wrists and cuffed them together, Buffy not even wanting to know where Wesley had got handcuffs from.  He hauled her to her feet and pushed her so that she was sitting on the couch, her hands bound behind her back.  She tried to stand, but was pushed back by Wesley.

"You're seriously going to regret this," Buffy warned.

Wesley didn't look the least bit intimidated.

"I highly doubt that Miss Summers," Wesley replied.  

She tried to get up once again and Wesley drew a gun inside his jacket pocket.  Buffy froze completely and looked at him.

"They're just tranquillisers, Miss Summers," he informed her.  "I won't kill you unless you give me no other choice."

Buffy slumped backwards on the couch, trying to think of how on earth to get out of this situation.  It didn't look entirely promising.  She looked away from the new Watcher and stared blankly out the window.  She didn't even see the enraged Englishman walk in the door.

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Giles yelled.  

Wesley swallowed hard but stood up to his full height.  Buffy looked to her _real_ Watcher hopefully.  Giles kept his cold gaze planted firmly on Wesley.

"Mr Giles, I suggest you stay out of this," Wesley said.

"And I suggest you tell me why exactly you've got a gun pointed at my Slayer," Giles replied, his voice cold, even and Ripperish.  Buffy shivered slightly, thankful that this time it wasn't directed at her.

"She's no longer your Slayer Mr Giles," Wesley replied.  "And she's to be taken to England and will be placed in front of the disciplinary committee."

Giles' gaze finally swung around to look at Buffy who was looking increasingly nervous.

"On what grounds?" Giles asked.

"Murder," Wesley replied.

Giles paled and took an involuntary step back.  He looked at Buffy who's eyes were boring into his, imploring him to stand beside her as he always did.

"Tell me what happened," Giles demanded.

Buffy went to launch into an explanation, but Wesley glared at her and she stayed silent.  She wasn't exactly afraid of the other Watcher, but she didn't want to be unconscious for this conversation.

"There was an accident," Wesley began.  "On patrol the other evening.  A man, Allan Finch, was killed.  By Miss Summers."

Buffy saw the devastation and disappointment on Giles' face.  She looked away, unable to handle seeing her Watcher looking at her like that.  Giles could only think that Buffy's turning away from him meant one thing.  She was guilty.  His heart sank even further and a sick feeling rose in his stomach.

"I've called the Council," Wesley continued.  "They'll be here within the hour to take her to England."

That definitely got Buffy's attention.  Her head snapped up and she looked to Giles' pleadingly.

"Giles, no!  You can't let them do this!  That's not the way it happened, I swear it," Buffy said.

Giles was torn, wanting desperately to believe his young Slayer.  But there was doubt in his mind.  Whilst he would have liked to have believed that his Slayer wouldn't lie to him, there hadn't been a lot of trust between them since Jenny had died.  

He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at the younger Watcher.

"I have to make some phone calls."

He walked out of the room before Buffy could convince him to stay.

------------------------

Buffy was getting antsy.  Not only was she starting to get really worried about what would happen to her when the Council came, but she was wondering why Giles hadn't come back into the office.  She could hear him speaking on the phone, though his voice was too soft for her to make out the words.  Occasionally he would whisper harshly, his anger rising, but she still couldn't hear what he was saying.  She sighed and tried to shift into a more comfortable position.  

Wesley glanced at her and she fought the urge to glare at him.  She couldn't believe that this had happened.  She swallowed her tears and closed her eyes, willing the headache that had swelled up in the last few hours to go back to wherever it had come from.

She heard the library doors open, the sound of heavy footfalls entering.  She swallowed hard and instinctively knew that the people who had entered were Council members.  Wesley walked out of the office, giving her a warning look, silently telling her to stay put.  It wasn't as though she could really go anywhere when her hands were still cuffed behind her back, she mused.

"Where is she?" a stern British voice asked.

"In the office," Wesley replied.

"I assume that Travers has contacted you since you were given your assignment," Giles said.

"She's still being taken to London," the stern man said.  "The Council took a quick vote and decided that she would benefit from being placed under the tutelage of whom you suggested."

Buffy could only wonder exactly what that meant.  She felt a little safer knowing that wherever she was going it was somewhere that Giles had recommended, rather than anywhere the Council wanted her.

Three large men entered the office and Buffy was pulled roughly to her feet.  They were treating her as the Slayer, as though she still had her strength, and the large man's grip was bruising.  She winced and the man loosened his grip a little, obliviously testing her responses to see if Wesley had given her the compound.

She was pushed out of the office and she could only look imploringly at Giles.

"Where are they taking me?" she asked desperately, even as the three men pushed her towards the doors.

"By the order of the Watcher's Council of Britain, I am exercising my authority and removing you to England," the man behind her stated clearly.  "You will be placed in an environment where your elders can control you and where you can learn discipline and self-control.  When you have learned all they have to teach, you will be given a new Watcher and a new post, away from the Hellmouth."

"No!" Buffy yelled, struggling frantically.  She hadn't been too worried about going to England, but hearing that she was to be given a new Watcher and a new location terrified her.

She was hit across the face by one of the Council Members, and Giles had to force himself not to rush to her aid.  His eyes had tears in them and he wanted nothing more than to kill the other members of Council who were taking away his Slayer.

"Giles, please!"

The men behind her pushed her forward, Buffy struggling, but ultimately having no choice but to move towards the door.

"My mom, Giles, please!  You have to tell her.  You have to take care of her."

She looked back at him, even as she was forced out into the hallway.  Buffy was just thankful that it was evening, and the students weren't about to witness this.

Giles nodded and silently gave her his word that her mother –and friends- would be taken care of.  Wesley gave Giles one last look before walking out of the library, smug satisfaction on his face.


	2. Removing You To England

CHAPTER TWO: REMOVING YOU TO ENGLAND

**Friday, 29th January 1999**

Buffy had always wanted to go on a private jet.  She had never, however, imagined that her first time in a private jet would be quite like this.  She had been un-cuffed, thankfully, but she had three body-guards, one of whom was holding her at gun point.  It was only a tranquilliser gun, but still, it wasn't entirely comforting.

The three men hadn't said a word to her, hadn't introduced themselves or offered her anything to eat.  They had conversed between themselves, being sure to call each other by code-names, rather than real ones, and Buffy was quickly becoming sick of the way they were treating her.  She was innocent here and they were treating her like a criminal.

She had long since given up trying to get them to tell her where exactly she was being taken.  She just knew that once they landed in England she was being taken somewhere to be tutored in the ways of non-evilness.  She sighed and sat back in her seat, closing her eyes and praying to wake up from the nightmarish world she had been forced into.

------------------------

Some hours later, Buffy awoke when she felt the plane begin it's descent.  She looked around warily, thankful that the man with the tranquilliser gun had given up holding it pointed at her.  The three Council members were playing some sort of card game, looking about as bored as she felt.

The plane landed easily and several minutes later, she was again being pulled roughly to her feet.  She was given another injection of the compound.  She had been hoping that they wouldn't have bothered, but they at least didn't put the handcuffs on her again.

She was pulled off the plane and led into the terminal.  

"If you try to escape, you'll be tranqued faster than you can say 'Rogue Slayer'," one of the en whispered.

She scowled, hating that they were calling her that.  She wasn't a rogue and she hadn't killed anyone, and her anger and resentment was quickly escalating.

They pushed her towards a quieter area of the airport where they were met by two other people, a man and a woman, both looking at her with stern disapproval.  Buffy flinched and wondered whether anyone would ever look at her with anything other than disgust ever again.

"Miss Summers, I presume," the man said, his voice silky and smooth, a clipped British air to him.  He was dress in all black, his black hair greasy and unkempt.  He wore black pants, a black shirt and a long black cloak.  Buffy could only wonder whether all British people had strange fashion sense.

Buffy nodded and she was pushed forward towards them.  The Council members handed the man and woman twelve wooden boxes and Buffy felt her stomach drop.  They were going to keep administering the Cruciamentum drug to her.  The woman accepted the boxes, slipping them into a bag.

Buffy watched the interaction for a little longer, watching as folders of information were handed to the woman.  The woman accepted them easily and thanked the Council members with politeness.  Before Buffy knew what was happening, the three Council members walked away, leaving Buffy with two complete strangers.  She swallowed nervously and looked at them.

"Miss Summers, we expect you to do as we tell you," the woman said, sternly, a Scottish accent tinging her voice.  "If you don't, we'll be forced to use other more…unconventional methods to keep your behaviour in line.  Do you understand?"

Buffy nodded and followed the two adults as they led her away from the terminal.  Neither of them had introduced themselves to her, but she followed obediently.

"Over there, Minerva," the man said, pointing to an empty space within the parking lot of the airport.

When there were no other people in sight, the woman took Buffy by the hand and looked at the black-cloaked man.

"Ready Severus?"

The man nodded, his permanent scowl never fading.  He took the free hands of Buffy and Minerva, completely the circle.  Buffy looked at them, completely confused, but didn't dare speak in case they decided to use whatever unconventional methods they had been threatening earlier on her.  Buffy felt a tug in her stomach, and before she knew what was happening, they were no longer outside the London airport.

She looked around in shock, wondering what had just happened.  They were at a train-station, that much was obvious.  On the seats was printed the word 'Hogsmeade'.  She dared not ask where they were, instead she wordlessly followed Severus and Minerva onto the train.  They chose a compartment close to the driver's cabin and the train departed immediately.

After an uncomfortable twenty minute silence, the train pulled into another station.  The two adults stood and Buffy quickly followed their example.  She was lead off the train and the trio walked down a steep, narrow path.  Buffy managed to keep herself from slipping on the muddy surface, and walked silently, her heart racing.  

The path suddenly opened up so that they were suddenly over-looking a large black lake.  On the other side of the water, above a high mountain sat a great castle with many turrets and towers.  Buffy breathed in an impressed breath of air, drawing attention to herself from Minerva.

"Impressive, isn't it?" she asked, her voice quiet and considerably kinder than it had been at the airport.

Buffy could only nod, too nervous to say anything else.

The three of them clambered into a boat that seemed to steer itself towards the other side of the lake.  Buffy just stared at the castle in wonder.  A sudden thought sent shivers down her spine, and Buffy could only hope that they didn't plan to lock her in some dark, dank dungeon.

The approached a small cavern, and the three of them ducked as they drifted through a curtain of ivy .  The boat went along a dark tunnel which Buffy assumed was directly under the castle.  They reached an underground harbour and they got off the boat, Minerva giving Buffy a hand so that she didn't trip when the boat rocked suddenly.  

Buffy followed them up a passageway that eventually led onto a large rolling lawn at the front of the castle.  They walked up a flight of large stone steps and stopped in front of a large oak door.  Minerva opened the large doors and turned back to the Slayer.

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

------------------------

Buffy stepped inside and felt completely out of her element.  The hall that they entered into was massive, a large flight of marble stairs running up the middle of the room.  On the walls there were large flaming torches.  Buffy looked up and was unable to even see the ceiling, it was so high up.  

"What is this place?" Buffy asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"A school, Miss Summers," Severus replied icily.  "And you are only here because we owe your ex-Watcher a favour, not because we trust you in any way, shape or form."

Buffy shuddered, hating that his voice held so much contempt for her.  She wondered what Giles had done to make these people owe him a favour.

She followed Severus and Minerva across the cobble-stone floor and up the stairs.  They took the right branch and after a labyrinth of corridors, they stopped in front of a statue of a bird with it's wings forming a large semi-circle.

"Cauldron Cakes," Minerva said.

The statue began moving in a spiral motion, a set of stairs emerging.  Buffy was pushed gently onto them and was taken to another hidden level, Severus and Minerva travelling behind her.

She stepped off the stairs and into a small corridor.  Minerva knocked on the door, and waited until a voice told them to "come in" before opening the door.  Buffy stepped inside between the two adults, her heart beginning to race.  She had no idea of what to expect, and she hated not knowing what was happening.  As a Slayer she was used to being in control, but she had no power here, no advantage and no strength.  In short, she was not a happy camper.

Buffy looked around the large circular room that was filled with odds and ends that Buffy had never seen before.  Seated behind a large desk which seemed to have claws for feet was an elderly looking wizard, a snowy white beard covering his face.  He looked up at Buffy and the Slayer felt a sense of calm pervade her soul.  She looked back at him and instinctively knew that this was not someone who wanted to hurt her in any way shape or form.

"Miss Summers," he greeted, his voice quiet and lyrical.  "I am Professor Dumbledore.  Please, have a seat."

Buffy moved forward nervously and sat in a large chair opposite him.  Minerva and Severus hovered behind her.  Minerva stepped forward and handed Dumbledore the file and the boxes of the hated compound.  Buffy swallowed hard at the sight of the boxes and forced herself to keep her attention on the man in front of her rather than on the items that made her incredibly nervous.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Dumbledore said.

Buffy's eyes widened.  "School of what?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.  "Rupert didn't tell you where you were coming, I take it."

"There wasn't exactly a lot of time," Buffy said darkly.

"Ah," Dumbledore said in an inscrutable tone of voice.  "Well, here at Hogwarts, all of our students are magically inclined."

Buffy couldn't understand what was happening.  Why would Giles get her sent to a Wizarding school?  What was the point?  She had to admit that it seemed to be a far better choice than being locked up within Council grounds as she had expected to be, but this seemed very strange.

"Young Rupert was a former pupil of ours," Dumbledore explained.  "I helped him after his particularly rough patch when he was in his twenties.  He believes that we here at Hogwarts can assist you similarly."

Buffy wanted to scream, shout, rant and rave that what had happened hadn't been her.  But she was in England, with no one she knew, and with a man that Giles obviously trusted.  She swallowed hard and forced herself not to cry.

"As an eighteen year old, you'll be placed with the Seventh Years, though you'll have to begin your learning from the very beginning.  You'll only be here until the end of the school year in July," Dumbledore explained.

Buffy did a count mental calculation.  Five months.  She would be here for five months and then she would be given a new Watcher and be sent to a new town.  She forced herself not to panic at the thought that she would never see her mom or her friends ever again.  A feeling of absolute hatred for Faith welled up inside her, and she forced herself to concentrate on the topic at hand rather than on her silent promise to make Faith pay for taking away Buffy's life.

"Depending on how well you respond to your tutelage, you will be advanced to other grades.  Mr Giles and myself are expecting you to take this very seriously, Miss Summers.  The Watcher's Council is only allowing you to be here if you show co-operation and aptitude for what you will be studying," Dumbledore warned.  "If you don't give your all, you will be taken to a Council Facility."

Buffy nodded, hoping that that wouldn't happen.  At least learning magic sounded somewhat interesting.  And if this was a school then there was a good chance that she would be able to make some friends out of this experience.

"Any questions?" Dumbledore asked.

"One," Buffy admitted.  "I don't have the first idea about magic."

Dumbledore smiled a little.  "That is what you are here to learn," he replied.  "You'll be provided with a wand and instructed by Professors and another Seventh Year student who has excelled at her classes.  And if you are worried about not being magical, then I can guarantee that as the Slayer, you will be able to perform magic.  You're entire being is made of magic.  You should be quite capable.  But, of course, you are not to reveal that you are the Slayer.  If people ask you why you are at Hogwarts, you are to tell them that your magical side was only recently revealed, and that I requested for you to be taught in the ways of witchcraft."

Buffy just nodded, trying to accept what she had been told.

Dumbledore stood and turned around, taking a battered looking hat from a shelf just behind the desk.  He walked around the desk and stood at Buffy's side.  She looked up at him nervously.

"You must first be sorted into a house before we can show you to your room and introduce you to people," Dumbledore informed her.

She swallowed hard and chose to trust him.  He placed the hat onto her head gently and Buffy waited, though she wasn't sure what she was waiting for exactly.  The hat twitched a little and Buffy jumped when she heard a small voice whispering to her.

"A Slayer, eh?  How unusual.  Brave, cunning, resourceful, loyal, intelligent.  A disregard for the rules.  Power like I've hardly ever seen.  Hmmm, Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, that is certain.  You have a thirst to prove yourself.  Better be SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was taken from her and she looked at the Professors blankly.  Who or what was a Slytherin?

Dumbledore's face was blank, the smile and mischievous twinkle gone from his eyes.  

"What does that mean?" Buffy asked.

"You house is something like your family, Miss Summers," Minerva explained, launching into the speech that she was accustomed to giving to First Year students at the beginning of each year.  "You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common-room.  Triumphs will earn you house-points, while any rule-breaking will lose house-points.  The house with the most points at the end of the year is awarded the house cup.  Professor Snape here is the house-master for Slytherin."

Buffy turned to look at Severus who was still looking at her with contempt.  He didn't look particularly happy about the thought of having her in his house.  She could only hope that the students within the house weren't as horribly creepy as the house-master.

"Professor Snape will show you to your dormitory," Professor Dumbledore said.  "Due to your…circumstance, you will be placed in a room of your own.  Not only is there no more room in the Seventh Year girls room, simply put Miss Summers, you are not trusted."

Buffy felt as though she'd been kicked.  She chose not to say anything, only nodded and tried desperately not to cry.

"Come Miss Summers," Snape said.

Buffy stood and followed the Professor to the door.  Before they could make it out of the Headmaster's office, a large red and gold bird flew towards her, hovering beside her for a moment before Buffy instinctively put her arm out for it to land on.

The Professors in the room looked at the girl and the bird with confusion.

"I thought this bird of yours was supposed to be a good judge of character," Snape said cruelly.

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, his eyes firmly fixed on Buffy with Fawkes.

"She is," Dumbledore said quietly.

The Phoenix rubbed it's beak gently against Buffy's cheek before flying back to its perch.  Buffy looked back at the bird in confusion before being dragged roughly out of the office, Snape's hand on her elbow.

----

Thank you to everyone for your reviews! Very very encouraging!! Not sure how often I'll be updating this one. It's only 16 chaps so far, and it's no where near finished, so…no guarantees on regular updates.

Toodles.


	3. Who Are You?

CHAPTER THREE: WHO ARE YOU?

**Friday, 29th January 1999**

Buffy was silently led down several flights of stairs to a chilly corridor.  In the middle of the corridor, Snape stopped and Buffy barely managed to keep herself from bumping into him.  "The passwords to the Common Rooms are to be kept secret, Miss Summers," Snape warned.  "You are not to give the password to any student under any circumstance, unless you know for a fact that they are in Slytherin."

Buffy nodded and thanked the Powers that she had a good sense of direction that seemed to be inbuilt in her body.  She had always assumed it was a perk of being a Slayer, and she had never been more thankful for it.

"Pure-blood," Snape said.  A door concealed in the stone wall opened.  Snape entered followed by Buffy.  

The room that they entered into was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, green lamps suspended on chains hanging from the roof illuminating the room.  A fire crackled under an elaborately carved mantelpiece.  To the right was a set of stairs that Snape headed towards.  They ascended the stairs and took the right passageway.  They walked past several rooms, Buffy able to hear loud girlish voices chattering happily.  At the end of the corridor there was another door.  Snape opened it and let Buffy walk in.

Buffy took a step into the room and gasped.  She hadn't been expecting the room to be rather beautiful.  There was a four-poster bed against one of the walls, a window by the bed.  There was a desk with books, quills, parchment and ink resting atop it.  On the chair beside the desk was a uniform, cloak, jumper, scarf, tie and shoes.  Buffy turned to Snape who hovered in the doorway.

"You're to wear the uniform at all times, except on weekends.  Mr Giles has arranged for some of your personal items to be sent to you, and they'll be here tomorrow morning.  Dinner is in half an hour.  I would suggest you change quickly and follow the other students to the Great Hall.  I expect immaculate behaviour from you Miss Summers, and if you even think of stepping out of line, I will not hesitate to have you removed from Hogwarts."

Buffy just nodded, not trusting herself to say something completely horrible to him.  Snape left, the door shutting behind him.  Buffy sighed, thankful to finally be by herself.  She sat on the edge of the bed, wondering how on earth she was meant to survive this.  

------------------------

The thirty minutes passed quickly, and Buffy had forced herself to don the uniform.  The blouse and skirt weren't entirely horrible.  She wasn't cold enough to put the jumper on over the blouse, and left it off.  She wasn't certain whether the shirt needed to be tucked in, and left it out, not wanting to look completely idiotic.  She'd rather be told to tuck it in than have to tug it out.  The tie has diagonally stripped with green and silver, the scarf the same colours, which she left hanging on the chair.

She swung the cloak around her shoulders, smiling a little as the warmth of it swept through her body.  It looked strange but it somehow felt right being wrapped around her small shoulders.  The socks were grey knee-highs and the shoes were a simple black with laces.  She left her hair out, her blonde locks resting just below her shoulders, contrasting to the black of her cloak.

There was a burst of noise in the corridor, and Buffy let herself out of the room, trying to blend in with the crowd.  To her immense relief, no one seemed to notice her in the rush to get to dinner.  She followed the group of people out into the common room where the boys joined them and the group moved out through the corridor, up the stairs and into the entrance hall.  They walked through a pair of double doors into a large room, lit with thousands and thousands of floating candles.  Lining the hallway were four long tables lined with students who seemed to be seated in no particular order, except that they were seated by what house they were in.  

Buffy took a seat with her back facing the wall so she could see what was happening in the hall, nervously straightening her uniform, thankful to see other who had forgone their jumpers as well.  Unfortunately, Buffy still couldn't tell whether or not their shirts were supposed to be tucked into their skirts.  Some people wore them tucked in, whilst others had them left out.  Buffy shrugged and decided to wait until she was told otherwise.

The seat beside Buffy was suddenly sat in, and Buffy turned.  Her throat went dry as she took in the boy seated beside her.  He was tall, thin and gorgeous, platinum blonde hair and silver eyes that alternated between being mischievous and being cold.  It was an odd combination.  Buffy tore her eyes away from him before he caught her staring.

Buffy's attention was caught by someone standing at the head table at the other end of the hall.  Professor Dumbledore stood behind the Professors table, his eyes meeting Buffy's.  She nodded her greeting when his eyes met hers.  He nodded back and Buffy felt a little uncertain what he was thinking.

Dumbledore sat down and food suddenly appeared at the tables.  Buffy jumped a little but didn't say anything.  The students around her began piling their plates with food.  Buffy took a small amount of food, her stomach unable to handle too much after the extremely strenuous day that she'd been put through.  She watched as students interacted with each other, laughing, joking and telling stories.  

She reached for a bread-roll from the basket in front of the boy seated beside her, and her hands brushed his.  She pulled back nervously and allowed him to take a roll before she took her own.

"Sorry," she apologised quietly.

He turned to look at her, his head tilted to the side curiously.

"Who are you?" he asked tactlessly.

Buffy fought not to raise her eyebrows at him, not wanting to seem too rude, even though he didn't seem to be trying to pay her the same curtesy.

"Buffy Summers," she replied.  "And you?"

"You're American," he said disdainfully.

"And you're British," she replied, her opinion of him changing drastically.  Sure, he was incredibly good-looking, but he was far too arrogant for her liking.  "What's your point?"

His eyes narrowed and he glared at her.

"You're not a muggle are you?  Because an American muggle would really be at the bottom of the barrel," he said.

"I'm not a muggle," Buffy replied, though she had no idea what a muggle actually was.  She just assumed it to be something bad when she heard the tone of his voice.  Then again, she hadn't heard any other tone in his voice, so she wasn't entirely certain.  Better to say no and be wrong later she decided.

"Well, that's something at least," he replied.

He buttered his bread roll and stuffed half of it into his mouth.  Buffy grimaced at the completely boyishness of the act, painfully reminded of Xander's bad habits when it came to food.

"So, do you have a name or not?" Buffy asked.

"What's it to you?" he asked, swallowed before he spoke.

She wondered whether he was being purposefully annoying or not.

"I'd like to know the name of the guy who's pissing me off," she replied.  "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Hmmm, five seconds of conversation and I've pissed you off. I must be losing my touch," he said snarkily.

She rolled her eyes.  "I can just as easily ask someone else," Buffy warned.

He sighed deeply and offered her his hand to shake.  He squeezed a little too hard, and even though her strength was mostly gone, it still didn't hurt as much as it would if she hadn't been the Slayer.  He had obviously been expecting her to wince, and was clearly impressed when she didn't.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Draco," she repeated, rolling the word around in her head.  She liked it, thought it was original.  "Good to meet you."

Draco took his hand back and looked at the girl with new eyes, impressed by the way she hadn't backed down.  Most people who met him and received nothing but antagonistic behaviour usually shrunk away from him in fear, but this small American girl did nothing of the sort. She had risen to the challenge and had in turn challenged him.  It was refreshing.

"So, why _are_ you here Yankee-girl?" he asked.

Her eyes flashed, but she refused to rise to the bait.

"To learn stuff," she replied glibly.

Draco rolled his eyes and looked at her, expecting her to cave under the silent pressure.  She met his gaze steadily and still didn't offer any other information.  

"But why now?  You must be, what, sixteen?" he asked.

"Eighteen," she replied.  Sometimes she really hated being short.

"Eighteen," he repeated.  "So, you're a Seventh Year in age…why are you only just now coming to Hogwarts?"

Buffy struggled to remember the answer that Dumbledore had told her to use.

"They only just worked out that I was magic-girl," Buffy replied.  "They invited me to come learn, and…well, I had nothing better to do." _Except stay on the Hellmouth and protect my friends from the forces of darkness._

Buffy desperately hoped that with her absence, Faith wouldn't do anything incredibly stupid, like continue on her spiral into the dark side.  She could only hope that Faith used this opportunity to actually clean up her act and become a better Slayer.  Of course, Buffy was still incredibly angry at Faith, but she could only hope that Faith wouldn't become one of the forces of darkness that they were supposed to fight against.

Draco raised his eyebrows and looked at her.  "You came to Hogwarts because you were bored?"

Buffy shrugged and nodded.  "Sure.  It sounded interesting."

Draco was trying to work out this small American girl, but he couldn't figure out what was so different about her.  She was confident without being cocky, strong without being violent and beautiful without being arrogant.  It wasn't something Draco was used to and he found himself being drawn to it.

"So, are you going to be in Seventh Year classes then?" Draco asked curiously, unsure why he wanted to know, but certain that he wanted to see more of the blonde girl.

"Nope," Buffy replied.  "I'll pretty much be starting from the beginning.  One of the Seventh Years is gonna be tutoring me.  Dumbledore didn't tell me who though.  He just said that it was a girl."

Draco groaned and rolled his eyes.  "Granger no doubt," he said.

"Who?"

Draco subtly pointed to a girl seated at the next table.  She was seated with a black-haired boy, an unusual scar on his forehead.  She seemed to be talking and laughing about something and Buffy didn't know why Draco didn't like her.

"Hermione Granger.  A Gryffindor," he said, spitting out the house name as though it were diseased.  "A know-it-all who thinks she's better than us.  Don't let her rub off on you Summers."

"What's the go with the guy next to her?" Buffy asked.

Draco's eyes narrowed and he turned to look a Buffy.  

"You're not about to tell me you find him attractive, are you?" Draco asked, looking disgusted.  

"Wasn't planning on it, no," she replied calmly.  "Just wondered what the deal with his scar was."

"Are you sure you're not a muggle?" he asked.

Buffy shrugged.  "Not sure what a muggle is in all honesty."

"Someone without magic," Draco answered.  "Boring, dull and dependent on human ways."

"I was raised muggle, but I'm not one," Buffy said.  "And why does me being raised muggle have anything to do with that guy and his scar?"

"Because, he's about the most famous person in the wizarding world," Draco answered.  "Famous Harry Potter with his lightening shaped scar.  The Boy who bloody lived.  Big deal."

Buffy looked at Draco, her eyebrows raised.  The contempt and jealousy written across his face was obvious and Buffy knew that there was obviously some sort of rivalry between the two boys.  

"What's he famous for?"

"He destroyed You-Know-Who when he was only a year old," Draco answered.  "The Killing Curse that You-Know-Who threw at him backfired because of Harry's mother's _love_ for him.  The bloody kid didn't even _do_ anything and he's still famous."

Buffy had always hated not knowing things, and only half of what Draco had said made sense.  She didn't like being at a disadvantage, and she somehow knew that someone like Draco Malfoy wasn't going to be afraid of taking advantage of it.

"Right, so…this You-Know-Who person…who's that?"

"You're kidding," Draco said.  "You don't _know_ who You-Know-Who is?"

Buffy shook her head.  Draco leant in close and whispered a name into her ear, Buffy shivering at the feel of his warm breath tickling her neck.

"Voldemort."

He pulled back and looked at her still confused face.  He sighed and decided to explain the story to her, keeping his voice low so that the others at the table couldn't hear them.  Regardless of how many Slytherin parents were death-eaters, most of the Slytherin students still didn't like to hear about Voldemort.

Buffy listened, fascinated by the story of the wizard gone bad, hanging onto the words that Draco was telling her.  She couldn't believe that something so important had been going on in the world without anyone in the muggle world realising it.  Draco told her about the Death-Eaters, about Voldemort's defeat, his later attempts at coming back and finally his uprising three years ago and defeat the  next year.  Ironically it had been the Death-Eaters that had turned on their master and killed him once and for all.  The Ministry had put the Death-Eaters to trial, and depending on their involvement in the year long reign of terror, they were either set free, banished from the wizarding world, or sent to Azkaban.

Buffy wasn't entirely surprised to hear that Draco's father had been a Death-Eater.  Lucius Malfoy had been released from all charges when the Ministry had found out that it had been Malfoy who had led the revolts against Voldemort.  Buffy was a little disconcerted to hear that he had then been put into Azkaban the following year when it had been revealed that he'd only led the revolt so that he could be the one to rule over the wizarding world.

Buffy could tell that Draco was ashamed of his father.  There was something different in his voice when he spoke of the events of the previous year, the way he quietly told her his life story.  

Draco wasn't entirely certain why he'd told her about his father.  She hadn't pushed as so many of the other Slytherins had when they'd found out about Lucius Malfoy trying to become the newest Dark Lord.  She was genuinely interested in what he was saying, and there was sympathy on her face rather than pity.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief as his story came to an end.  He looked at her, slightly worried that she would pull away from him, no longer want to talk to him.  Buffy could see the worry on his face.  

"That's quite a story," Buffy said, slightly overwhelmed by what he'd just said.  "Your dad doesn't sound like anyone I'd particularly like to meet in dark alley."

"No," Draco said softly, all arrogance gone.  "You wouldn't."

"So, that's your dad's story…what about yours?" Buffy asked.

"Pardon?"

"Well, you've told me about the Death-Eaters and what went on with your dad and stuff, but what about you?  Where do you fit in on the scale of things?" she asked.

"Scale?"

"Yeah, you know…the balance between good and evil.  Which team are you barracking for?" 

Draco sighed and turned away.  Most of the time he'd sat at his father's side, an arrogant smirk on his face.  The rest of the time he'd been questioning what he was doing, wondering if he could really live with himself if he ever gave into the dark side.

"I helped the Ministry gather evidence against him," Draco admitted.

"So, the whole bad boy look you've got going for ya, it's not really real?" 

Draco scowled, glaring at her.  She just laughed and took a bite of food.  Draco sighed and wondered how it was that after speaking to this small American girl for only half an hour she had completely made him open himself up.  Not the part of the 'Prince of Slytherin' or the school bad-boy, but who he really was when he was alone in his rooms.  Not even his closest friends knew who he really was.  He couldn't help but wonder whether she would use who he was against him, but something told him that she could be trusted with what he'd told her.  He wouldn't have said anything to her at all if he didn't think she could be trusted.

"I've just lost all intimidation points with you, haven't I?" he asked rhetorically.

She grinned at him and nodded.  "Oh yeah."

Buffy jumped when she felt a hand touch her shoulder none too gently.  She turned and saw Professor Snape standing behind her.  She sobered instantly, her smile disappearing from her face.  

"Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak with you," Snape said.

Buffy nodded and stood.  She shot a half-smile to Draco and walked behind Snape up to where the Headmaster was seated.  She could hear murmuring from the other tables, all of the students wondering who the new girl was and why she was being led by Snape to the back of the Great Hall where Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Hermione Granger were standing.  Buffy swallowed nervously but held her head high.  She wasn't about to let a few hundred school students talking about her make her feel horribly paranoid.  She was used to being noticed at school, and usually it hadn't been in a good way, not since she had been Called.

"Miss Summers," Professor Dumbledore greeted.  "This is Hermione Granger, Head Girl here at Hogwarts.  Miss Granger, meet Buffy Summers."

The two girls exchanged a soft 'hey' 'hi' and turned to look at the Headmaster expectantly.

"Miss Granger, if you would be so obliging as to show our new student around Hogwarts.  Tomorrow, we'll set up your schedule for tutoring.  Miss Summers, you're class schedule is on your desk," Dumbledore explained.

Buffy nodded and was given a gentle push towards Hermione.  Hermione smiled nervously and the door to the Great Hall opened.  The two girls walked out.

"Miss Summers."

Buffy stopped and turned to look at Professor Dumbledore.

"Miss Granger knows why you're here," Dumbledore said, a warning edge in his voice.  His voice dropped to a whisper that Buffy knew Hermione wouldn't be able to hear.  "But not what you are."

Buffy felt her heart sink.  She had assumed that the Professors wouldn't tell anyone, and having someone know the real reason for her sudden arrival at Hogwarts automatically meant that they would never truly be friends.  Buffy just nodded and continued walking with Hermione, an awkward silence between them.

---

Thank you to everyone for your reviews!! I'm sorry for the slowness, but there's this whole establishing the scene thing that kinda had to be done. ;) Anyways, mega thanks to you all!!

Toodles.


	4. Houses

CHAPTER FOUR: HOUSES

(Just for the sake of this fic, Buffy still has the Mark of Eyghon tattooed on her back.)

**Friday, 29th Januay 1999**

"So, uh…don't suppose you could show me where most of the classrooms are," Buffy started nervously.

Hermione nodded silently, vowing to herself that even though Dumbledore had very nicely forced her into taking this tutoring position, she didn't have to be happy about it.  What made it even worse was the fact that she was the only student who knew the real reason for Buffy being at Hogwarts, and keeping it a secret was not going to be easy at all.  She knew that Ron and Harry would be asking her about the new girl as soon as she was back in the Gryffindor Common Room, and she wondered what exactly she would tell them.  The vaguest answers, she figured, would be the best.

Hermione showed the other girl through the school, watching as Buffy took in everything with a large amount of awe.  It was like watching the first years get used to the castle, and for the life of her, Hermione couldn't reconcile this girl with the murderous fiend she'd been expecting.

"The Defence Against the Dark Arts room is in here," Hermione said, opening up a door to a room filled with desks and a large amount of free room towards the back.  "The Professor this year is actually pretty good.  Professor Rayne really knows his stuff."

Buffy felt blind panic rise up within her.  "Rayne?" she repeated.  "His first name wouldn't happen to be Ethan, would it?"

Hermione nodded, wondering how the girl had known.  

"Great, just great," Buffy muttered.  "Trust _him_ of all people to be here."

"You know Professor Rayne?" Hermione asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Unfortunately."

"He seems really nice," Hermione said, wondering why Buffy had such a problem with the DADA Professor.  "He knows a lot about monsters and demons and the like."

"No doubt," Buffy replied cynically, her shoulders tingling slightly, the mere mention of Ethan's name making her body remember the damage he'd done to her.  She touched her shoulder where the Mark of Eyghon was still tattooed.  She had wanted to get it removed, but hadn't been able to afford it.  After much deliberation, she'd decided to keep it, though she'd made certain to keep it covered whilst she was at home.

Hermione closed the door behind them and they continued down the hall.

"This is Transfigurations.  Professor McGonagall takes this class," Hermione explained.  "She's the Head-Mistress of Gryffindor."

Buffy nodded and decided to just ask the question that had been plaguing her all night.  

"What's the deal with the houses anyway?  What's the difference?"

"You don't know?" Hermione asked.

Buffy shook her head.  "Nope.  No idea."

"You really want to know?"

Buffy nodded, genuinely curious.

"Well, the houses are named for the four founders of the school.  Each of the founders looked for different attributes in their students.  The sorting hat was enchanted by the four founders so that the students would be in houses that would best suit their needs," Hermione explained.  Buffy was reminded sharply of her best friend back in Sunnydale whenever Willow would go on a lecturing tangent.  Buffy smiled a little and had to look away before she started crying or something equally as embarrassing.  Hermione didn't notice and continued with her explanation.  "Gryffindors are usually brave and daring.  Ravenclaws are usually really smart.  Hufflepuffs are loyal and hard-working and Slytherins are, uh…"

"Cunning and rule-breaking?" Buffy finished.

"I was going to say generally evil, but, you're description works as well," she said coldly. 

Hermione half expected Buffy to take serious offence, and was suddenly wishing that she hadn't said that to someone she knew was a known murderer.  Buffy's reaction, however, completely surprised the Seventh-Year Gryffindor.  Buffy laughed!  

Hermione just looked at the Slayer with confused eyes.  She hadn't been expecting that.  Never, in all of Hermione's seven years had she ever made anyone from Slytherin laugh before.  Smirk, maybe, but never a full-blown laugh.  Hermione couldn't help but smile, Buffy's laughter and subsequent bout of giggles becoming contagious.

Buffy finally composed herself, her hands fanning her face to cool herself down.

"God I needed that," Buffy commented.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hermione replied, really not understanding the other girl, but suddenly not particularly caring.

They continued walking until they reached the Potions classroom.  Hermione opened the door and Buffy shuddered at the sudden coldness that swept through the room.

"Yeesh…how do you not freeze in here?" Buffy asked.

"Layers," Hermione replied succinctly.  "Scarves, extra socks and the cloak."

"I hafta admit, the cloak is pretty cool," Buffy said with a grin.  "You'd never see anyone wearing anything like this back home."

"Where is home?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Sunnydale, California," Buffy replied.  "And if you call me a Yankee Muggle, I may hafta glare at you."

"Why would I call you that?" Hermione asked.

Buffy shrugged.  "Cos that silver-eyed blonde guy called me that."

"Hmmm, you've met Draco Malfoy then I take it," Hermione said.  "Isn't he just horrible?  Gorgeous maybe, but not the nicest man on the planet."

"I'll give you that he's gorgeous," Buffy replied, a shiver running up her spine, and not just from the coldness of the Potions room.  "But I think there's more to him than he usually lets on."

Hermione looked sceptical, but didn't say anything.  She'd never seen anything other than Malfoy's horrible attitude.  

"Maybe," Hermione admitted, her parents having instilled the thought that people were all innately good somewhere deep down inside.  "Anyway, I don't think there's too many more rooms to go.  There's only really the greenhouses and the Quidditch Pitch, but they're better seen during the day."

Buffy nodded and the two girls began making their way back towards the Entrance Hall.  

"Do you want me to get one of the Slytherins to show me them, or should we meet up tomorrow?" Buffy asked.

Hermione looked at the girl, a little stunned by the question.  Buffy could tell that Hermione was still slightly uncomfortable and was trying to give Hermione an out.  The Gryffindor girl wasn't used to Slytherins being polite, accommodating or sympathetic, and these characteristics coming from someone who was at Hogwarts to be rehabilitated after a murder just seemed incredibly out of character.

But, Hermione wasn't someone to break her word.  She'd told Dumbledore she would take the new girl under her wing, and she wasn't about to give up just because Buffy Summers made her incredibly uncomfortable.

"We should meet up tomorrow," Hermione said.  "It's Saturday at least, so we won't have too much of a problem working out a time.  Oh, and there's a Quidditch match as well.  Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw.  Most Slytherins don't attend it though.  Gryffindors and Slytherins don't really get on very well.  I could show you the pitch after the match is over though."

"Couldn't I just come to the game?" Buffy asked.  She had no idea what Quidditch was, but it sounded interesting.  

Hermione looked shocked.  She nodded dumbly and tried to get her thoughts together.  "Yeah, of course.  As long as you don't mind sitting with the Gryffindors."

Buffy shrugged.  It made no difference to her.  She was here not by choice and if she could at least be around people it would make the entire ordeal far easier.  And Hermione seemed to be a genuinely nice person, if a little hesitant about offering Buffy her friendship, though the Slayer could understand why that was.

"I don't mind."

"Uh…alright.  You should meet me in the Entrance Hall tomorrow at eleven.  The game starts at twelve, but Ron and I always go early to watch the teams warm up.  Harry's on the Gryffindor team, so we usually go and support him," Hermione explained.

Buffy nodded and they began ascending the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall. They reached the top of the stairs where they would go their separate ways.

"I'll see you at eleven, then," Buffy said.

Hermione nodded, still slightly unsure of what exactly had happened.  

"Alright."

"Goodnight."

---

Thank you to everyone for your reviews!! You guys make my day!! Oo, just a shameless plug for a fic that was written by me and a friend of mine. It's called Finding Faith and is a B/F fic. Just look for the writer Miss Goth Mai and give it a chance if you don't mind that pairing!

Toodles.


	5. Interrogations

CHAPTER FIVE: INTERROGATIONS

**Friday, 29th January 1999**

Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room. She wasn't surprised to see her two best friends seated in front of the fire playing yet another game of wizard's chess.  She took a seat beside them and watched as Ron won yet again.  In the seven years she had known both the boys, Harry had only won about ten games of chess out of the thousands they had played.  When the game finished, the boys turned to her, expectant looks on their faces.

"So?" Ron asked.

"So…what?" she replied.  She knew what they meant, but getting an exasperated look out of Ron was always good fun.

Ron rolled his eyes.  "Hermione," he groaned out.  

Hermione grinned and settled herself comfortably into her chair.

"What's with the new girl?" Ron asked.

"There's nothing _with_ the new girl," Hermione replied, deciding it was easier to be indignant in her answer than to try and come up with a real answer.  "She's just a new student."

"Yeah, but what's she like?" Ron persisted.  "She's bloody gorgeous, but she's a Slytherin.  And she was talking to Malfoy."

Hermione shrugged.  "She seemed nice enough," Hermione answered honestly.  "She wants to come to the Quiddtich game tomorrow with Ron and I.  Even after I told her that Slytherin and Gryffindor don't always get along."

Ron looked sceptical.  "A nice Slytherin?  Please!  She's probably some stuck up bitch in need of a good reality check."

Harry looked at his best friend, wondering when Ron had become so judgemental.  Then again, when it came to do with the Slytherins, Harry knew that Ron would never see them as people.

"Maybe you should look into getting your own reality check Ron Weasley," Hermione said.

Harry rolled his eyes and sat back to enjoy the show.  His two best friends had bickered and argued like this for the last few years, and this was nothing new.  He only wondered what would happen the day the two of them decided to use their passion for something more pleasurable than bickering.

Hermione stomped out of the room, much to Harry's dismay.  He sighed and looked at his best friend who was staring at Hermione's retreating back.  Or, more importantly, he was staring at her retreating backside.  Harry ran a hand through his perpetually messy black hair and looked at Ron who just shrugged innocently.

"You really thought she was gorgeous?" Harry asked.

He hadn't been paying attention to the new Slytherin girl at all, too caught up in looking at Ginny Weasley, even though Harry knew that Ron would kill him if he ever found out about Harry's more-than-friendly thoughts about Ginny.  

"All tiny, blonde and tanned.  What more could you want?" Ron asked.

Harry just shrugged refusing to answer that on the grounds that he would be incriminated.  With a stretch and a yawn, the two boys packed up the chess set and headed up to bed.

------------------------

Buffy walked into the Slytherin Common Room, thankful to see Draco still awake.  He was seated with two other boys, both of whom seemed to be large and intimidating.  Draco looked up and saw Buffy enter.  He looked back at his two friends and stood up, deciding that the tiny American girl was far more interesting than speaking with his two lackeys.

"Hey Summers," he greeted.

"Malfoy," she replied, giving him a tiny smile.

"How'd your tour with Miss Gryffindor 1999 go?" he asked, his trademark smirk firmly in place.

Buffy just shook her head and flopped into a large green couch, Draco sitting down beside her.

"You really don't like her, do you?"

Draco just shook his head.  "No, no I really don't."

Buffy grinned and kicked her shoes off, curling up on the couch to face him, her cloak covering her legs.

"She didn't seem to be too keen on you either," Buffy said.

Draco's eyes darkened.  "What did that bitch say about me?"

"Oh, just that you were a horrible, arrogant, womanising jerk who I should stay away from."

"What?!" Draco whispered harshly.  "That little cow!  I've never even dated let alone womanised!"

Buffy grinned and couldn't help the giggles that spewed from her lips.

"What?" Draco asked, slightly disturbed by the fact that he was having trouble not smiling at the sight of her laughter.

"You," Buffy replied.  "She just said that you weren't very nice.  I made the rest up."

Draco went slightly red around the ears and tried to think of something intelligent to say to cover up his previous outburst.  He coughed with embarrassment and tried to think of a new topic.

"So, are you going to tomorrow's Quidditch game?" Bufy asked.

Draco was relieved by the switch and shook his head.

"Two of my least favourite houses.  The only way it could get any worse would be Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff," Draco said contemptuously.

"Let me guess.  You're a Slytherin patriot at heart and anyone who dares to be in another house is unworthy of your attention," Buffy mocked. 

He scowled at her and put on his best air of arrogance.  

"Not everyone can be as good as Slytherins, I am aware of that," he said.  "But you will _never_ see me associating with mudblood muggle-lovers."

"You know, technically I'm a mudblood," Buffy said.  "My parents aren't really swinging the magical life-style.  My best friends are muggles, and they're some of the best people I know…usually.  Just because people don't use magic, it doesn't make you better than them."

"Yeah it does."

Buffy tilted her head to the side, staring at him curiously.  She stood up, and looked down at him.

"If you're so against muggles, then why did you help the Ministry take your father down?  Why did you help to save hundreds of people's lives by protecting them from another reign of terror?  You talk big Draco Malfoy, but you aren't what you say you are," Buffy said.  She turned and walked away, casually tossing another comment over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs to her room.  "Try not to stay awake thinking about _that_ all night."

Draco scowled and watched as she walked away, wondering about the dichotomy of his words and his actions.  He glowered angrily, stood up and went to bed.  His sleep was not the sleep of the clear-headed.

----

Mega thanks for all your reviews!!!  Very encouraging!

Toodles.


	6. Quidditch Games

CHAPTER SIX: QUIDDITCH GAMES

**Saturday, 30th January 1999**

True to her word, Buffy met Hermione and Ron in the Entrance Hall at eleven o'clock.  Buffy offered the two friends a shy smile.  Hermione introduced Ron who didn't seem to be trying to be the slightest bit polite to the newest Slytherin girl.  Buffy saw Hermione roll her eyes at Ron's behaviour, and felt slightly comforted by it.

They walked towards the Quidditch pitch, an awkward silence hanging between them.  Buffy was never one for silence and chose to break it.

"So, uh…not to sound completely idiotic or anything, but…what exactly _is_ Quidditch?" 

Ron looked at her in shock.  "You don't know what Quidditch is?"

Buffy shook her head.

"It's only the _best_ game in the world!" Ron exclaimed with excitement.  Buffy couldn't believe her luck.  She didn't know how she'd managed to pick a topic to get Ron warmed up, but she had and she was grateful.  For the next ten minutes, Buffy listened to Ron explain the rules of Quidditch, the redheaded boy caught up in explaining his favourite topic.  

"Why aren't you on the team?" Buffy asked when Ron had finally finished with the explanation.

Ron sighed, his excitement dying down automatically.

"I was, last year.  But it was taking up so much time and I was failing a couple of classes.  McGonagall told me I couldn't play anymore," Ron explained

Buffy winced in sympathy.  "You still go to the practises though, right?  I mean, you sound like you love it.  I can't believe you'd give it up completely."

Ron shrugged.  "What's the point in going to practise if I can't play in the games?"

"Uh, how about because your passionate about it?" Buffy suggested.  "Just cos you can't compete doesn't mean you have to give up completely.  That just gets depressing."

Ron looked at her questioningly.  Her suggestion wasn't a bad one, and Ron could have kicked himself for not thinking of it before.  Hermione laughed a little as she saw the thought process going on in Ron's mind.

"I think you've just made Ron's day," Hermione commented.

Buffy grinned and the three of them entered the stairwell to take them up to the Gryffindor stand on the Quidditch pitch.  After walking up several flights of stairs, the trio found a position at the railing overlooking the pitch.  The Gryffindor team were already doing warm-up laps, the seven team members flying around the stadium with ease.

"Wow," Buffy whispered, completely in awe of seeing something so out of the ordinary.  She'd thought that as the Slayer, she'd seen and heard pretty much everything, but it seemed that life still had some surprises in store for her.

"That's Harry there," Hermione said, pointing out her black-haired friend who was doing some daring flying tricks on his beloved Firebolt.

"Isn't that really dangerous?" Buffy asked.

Hermione nodded emphatically.  "The school games aren't too bad.  No one's died during a school match.  Broken jaws, arms, legs, collarbones and concussions are about the worst you'll get here.  But in real competitions, people have been known to go missing."

"The umpires for one thing," Ron commented with a laugh.

Buffy grinned and turned her attention back to the people on the broomsticks.  The Ravenclaw team came on and began doing their own warm-up exercises and Buffy could immediately tell that Gryffindor was by far the more experienced team.

"So, what position does Harry play?" Buffy asked curiously, wanting to get Ron and Hermione onto a topic they enjoyed.  

"Seeker," they replied simultaneously.  Ron continued on alone.  "He has to catch the snitch, this little golden ball the size of a walnut.  Once he catches it, the game is over, and Gryffindor gets 150 points.  The team who catches the snitch usually wins."

"How's he meant to see something the size of a walnut?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Not sure.  He's really good though.  He's only ever missed the snitch once, and that was because of those bloody Dementors back in third year," Ron said.

Hermione hit his arm.  "Don't curse."

"Dementors?" Buffy repeated.  "And they would be what?"

"They're the guards at Azkaban prison.  They feed on people's happiness, suck the life out of you, make you relive the worst of your memoires.  The worst punishment, besides death that a wizard can receive is a Dementor's Kiss.  They suck out your soul," Hermione explained.

Buffy's eyes widened in fear and shock.  _Note to self: keep Angel away from Dementors._  

Time passed and the stadium filled up with Hogwarts students and Professors.  Buffy saw Professor Snape across the way, glaring at her for no apparent reason.  She looked away, her attention back on the Gryffindor team.  

Hermione had introduced Buffy to several of her other friends, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and Ginny Weasley, who apparently had her sights set on Harry Potter.  Buffy bit back a giggle when Ginny gasped as Harry dove to catch a falling quaffle, pulling out of the feint and flying expertly back into the air.

"She's gonna give herself a heart attack at this rate," Buffy whispered to Hermione, pointing at Ginny.

Hermione laughed and nodded.  "She passed out last year when Harry was nearly knocked off his broom.  She's a little squeamish."

The game began and the crowd began cheering empathically, calling out for their respective teams.  Most of the audience seemed to be barracking for Gryffindor, and Buffy could see why.  She'd thought that Gryffindor would be better than Ravencalw, and she hadn't been wrong.

The Gryffindor team, consisting of Harry Potter, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Glenn Wood, Jack Thompson, Lara Penn and Jess Samuels all seemed to be a well-picked team that knew each others moves.  In comparison, the Ravenclaws were unable to accommodate each other, sometimes crashing into their own team-mates.  

Ron gave Buffy a running commentary, explaining some of the names of the trickier moves and telling her what each player should be doing.  He explained about some of the Gryffindor teams best players, comparing Glenn Wood to his older brother, Oliver, the Keeper from four years before.  

"Who's commentating for this thing?" Buffy asked, looking towards the other side of the stadium.

"That's Jeff Michaels.  He's a Sixth-Year Hufflepuff.  One of the funniest guys you'll ever meet until you meet my older brothers," Ron explained.

Buffy looked at him curiously.  "How many brothers do you have?"

"Five.  Oh, and Ginny of course," Ron replied, casting a glance to his younger sister who was still watching Harry.  "They've all graduated already."

"Geez.  I can't imagine having that many brothers and sisters.  There's pretty much just me and my mom in my house," Buffy said.

Ron tore his eyes away from the game.  "Where's your dad?"

Buffy sighed sadly.  "He lives in Los Angeles.  It's only two hours from where I live…or used to live.  Whatever.  My parents got divorced when I was fifteen."

"That sucks," Ron commented, unable to even contemplate what his life would be like without both of his parents living together in one of the most loving –and occasionally disgustingly cute- relationships that Ron had ever witnessed.

Buffy shrugged and continued watching the game, gasping and cheering for the Gryffindor team, caught up in the excitement of the match.  Buffy could see why it was so popular with the wizarding world.

Ginny Weasley gasped and clutched tightly at Ron's arm when Harry threw himself into a dive, chasing after a tiny fluttering golden ball.  Buffy could feel her heart racing as Harry raced closer to the ground at almost a ninety degree angle.  He pulled out of the dive only a foot from the ground, his arm stretching to grab the snitch.  He grabbed it out of the air and forced the broom to stop.  With a triumphant yell, he held the snitch in his hand and the crowd went wild.

"Potter caught the snitch!  One hundred and fifty points to Gryffindor!!  That brings the score to 230 for Gryffindor and 20 for Ravenclaw!"

Hermione grabbed Ron and Buffy, dragging them down the stairs so that they could be the first to meet Harry after the game.  Hermione hugged Harry fiercely as soon as he stepped off the pitch.

"Harry, that was brilliant!" she exclaimed.

Harry grinned, the adrenaline still flowing in his body, a grin planted firmly on his face.  

Ron slapped Harry's back in a congratulatory manner.  Harry pulled away and finally noticed the tiny blonde girl with his two friends.  He looked at her curiously.

"Hullo," he greeted.

"Hey," she replied casually.  "I gotta say, some of those flying moves were absolutely awesome!"

Harry grinned.  "Thanks.  I'm Harry by the way.  Harry Potter."

"Buffy Summers," she replied, the two teens shaking hands.

Ginny Weasley came barrelling down the stairs and threw her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly.  Harry stumbled a little, but returned the hug enthusiastically, grinning wildly.  Buffy smiled a little as she felt the sparks flying between the two.

"That was the _best_ game you've ever played Harry," Ginny cried.

Harry grinned and reluctantly pulled away from her.  "You say that about _every_ game Gin."

Ginny blushed a little, but shrugged nonchalantly.  "But it was.  That dive was incredible."

Buffy leaned in closer to Hermione to ask her something, thankful that Ron was too busy talking with Harry and Ginny to notice the Slytherin and Gryffindor girls whispering.

"Are they together, or not?" Buffy asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.  "She's been in love with him since her first year here.  She's always been smitten with him, but then Harry had to go and save her life, of all things.  So, it's a little bit of hero worship, combined with pure teenage hormones."

"What about him?" Buffy asked.  "Is he into her, or not really?"

"He is.  He won't admit it though.  I think he's a bit worried about what Ron might do to him," Hermione explained.

Buffy sighed though inwardly she was thankful that even in a magical world in England, love was still an issue that was complex and difficult.  At least that was somewhat familiar.

----

Geez ppl, I didn't realise the whole Harry/Ginny thing was gonna cause such an uproar.  I only had him with Ginny so that he _wouldn't_ be interested in Buffy y'know…my apologies for that particular pairing. I don't particulalry like them together, but…eh.  What can you do.  Anyways, thank you for the amazing amount of feedback I've been getting!  You guys fully make my day!  
Toodles.


	7. Training

CHAPTER SEVEN: TRAINING

**Saturday, 30th January 1999**

Buffy went her own separate way when the group reached the Entrance Hall, having gone via the greenhouses on the way back from the Quidditch Pitch.  Hermione had invited her to celebrate with the Gryffindors, but Buffy had politely declined, knowing that she needed to spend more time with people from her own house.  If McGonagall was to be believed, her house-mates were meant to be the closest friends that she had.  

She was also fairly certain that Professor Snape didn't want her socialising with the Gryffindors.  Then again, Buffy didn't think that Snape particularly wanted her socialising with anyone, so she supposed it didn't _really_ count.  Also, she needed time to just sit and think. Everything had happened so quickly and she hadn't been prepared for any of it.

In less than forty-eight hours her entire life had been turned completely upside down and Buffy had no idea of what to expect next.

She sighed and made her way up to her room, her body aching for sleep.  She wasn't used to British time, and her body was convinced that it was pretty much time for her to be sleeping.

She opened the door to her room, ignoring the curious glances she was receiving from the Slytherin girls.  She figured that she had the next six months to be polite, and until tomorrow, she had no plans except for solitude.

She closed the door behind her and looked around her room, gasping in shock.  It hadn't been anything like it now was when she'd left that morning.

For one thing, there were several boxes sitting on the floor.  For another, in the corner opposite her bed was a small training area.  It wasn't elaborate, but it was more than enough for Buffy.  She smiled, thankful that Giles had obviously thought to send her something to pummel.  It was a simple punching bag, but it was something she knew she would be needing, especially if she wanted to stay in shape for the next six months.

She moved to the boxes, looking through them quickly.  It was mostly clothing and a few other personal items.  Mr Gordo, some photos of her family and friends, some of her favourite jewellery as well as several letters that were in the handwriting of her friends.  She sighed and put the letters aside, not prepared to deal with them at that moment.  She knew what they would say, and she didn't particularly want to read them just yet.

She cleared off her bed, kicked her shoes from her feet and curled up under the covers, and let sleep take her over.

------------------------

Three and a half hours later, Buffy was wide-awake and venting.  The punching bag seemed to have been the very thing that Buffy needed the most, and she had never been more grateful for an inanimate object in her life.  She could picture Faith and Wesley's faces on the receiving end of her punches.  She was talking to herself, to the world, to the powers That Be as she hit the bag, emphasising each word as the bag took the brunt of her anger.

"It.  Wasn't.  My.  Fault…It. Was. An. Acc – i – dent…Both.  Of.  Us.  Not.  Just.  Me…Bitch. Be – tray – er.  Back – stab – bing. Mur – der – ous.  Fiend."

For two hours straight this continued, Buffy working herself into a serious frenzy, letting the bag take all her anxieties.  By the time the time she was done, the bag was ready to fall of it's chain.  Buffy fell backwards, her legs shaking, sweating badly.  She stretched out her arms and sat heavily on her bed, her breathing fast and shallow.

A knock sounded at the door.  Buffy pushed her wet-from-sweat hair out of her eyes and stood up steadily, making her way to the door.  She was half-expecting to see one of the Slytherin girls on the other side, coming to sate their curiousity.  She was, therefore, rather surprised to see Professor Dumbledore standing on the other side of her door.

"Professor," she greeted, trying to keep her voice and breathing even.

He gave her a small smile.  "May I?" he asked, gesturing to her room, seeking permission to enter.

She stood back, the invitation left silent.  After three years of being the Slayer, an invitation into your living quarters was just something that Buffy would never give out.  Dumbledore stepped inside and looked around the room.

"I see that Rupert managed to get your things sent," Dumbledore commented.

"Yeah.  It was pretty nice of him to get everything together for me," Buffy replied, not entirely certain of what else to say.

Dumbledore turned his attention to focus fully on the Slayer.

"You enjoyed the Quidditch Match, I take it?" he asked.

Buffy nodded truthfully.  She couldn't wait until the next game, regardless of who was playing.  She hoped she'd be able to go and watch some of the teams practise just so she could see more of the amazing sport.  "Yeah, it's great.  I can see why everyone seems to like it."

"Good, good.  I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," Dumbledore said.

Buffy nodded, tempted to reply with a smart-ass comment, but she bit it back.  She knew that even though the reason she was here wasn't legitimate, her being at Hogwarts was a better alternative than being anywhere near the Watcher's Council.

Dumbledore pulled out a small wooden box that immediately set Buffy's heart racing.  They were planning on keeping her drugged, probably for the entire time that she was at Hogwarts.  She swallowed hard, hating the knot in her stomach, the kicked feeling she got whenever she was reminded that no one trusted her.  She felt like screaming out to the world about the harshness of the situation.  She refrained, however, having better sense than that.

"You know what this is," Dumbledore said.

Buffy nodded.

"One of the conditions of you staying here at Hogwarts is that you are not at full-strength," Dumbledore explained.  "The Watcher's Council does not want you wielding the power that you possess, and have asked that I administer the drug to you every seven days.  With that in mind, you'll begin having the injection beginning on Monday, and will continue to receive them every Monday morning.  I want you in my office by seven thirty every Monday without fail."

Again, Buffy could only nod.  She had hated having the drug in her system, and had been hoping that they would have forgotten about it completely.  Of course, that would have made her life far easier, and that just couldn't happen for Buffy.  

Dumbledore pocketed the wooden box again and looked at the young Slayer.

"I forgot to mention, the Council does not wish for you to contact anyone from Sunnydale.  You cannot go anywhere near the Owlery for any reason, unless accompanied by a Professor.  If you ask another student to mail anything for you, you'll be expelled without question."

Professor Dumbledore hated being so cruel to a student, especially one who looked as sweet and innocent as Buffy Summers.  But he had read her file.  He had been shocked by the sheer amount of destruction that this tiny girl was capable of.  Her record of violence at school wasn't comforting for Dumbledore, and the Headmaster had been somewhat grateful to be provided with a way to keep the Slayer in check.  And whilst the thought of drugging someone sent shivers up and down Dumbledore's spine, he knew that even though Buffy Summers looked innocent enough, she had the strength of several large men, and enough power in her small hands to kill anyone whom she wanted to.  A dangerous enemy and a powerful ally.

Without another word, Dumbledore walked out of the room, leaving Buffy alone once more.  She bit back tears and turned her attention back to the punching bag, striking out at it with a renewed force.

----

Hmmm, yes I know Buffy is taking this a little too well with the whole not denying it thing, but…well, if she was proven right in Sunnydale, she couldn't very well go to Hogwarts…  ie it's convenient so…shhhh.  ;)

And I swear, some of you have been hacking into my computer and reading my files, cos a lot of you have guessed a fair few of my plotlines… ;)  Not saying which ones of course, but a lot of you are damn well close.  

Ooo, go check out the beginning of Lisette's fic, the third in the ToF series 'Sacrifice Par Amath'.  It's in the BTVS Crossovers section and even though there's only one chapter, it's still fricken awesome!!!  Orright, I'm done.  Oh, no I'm not.  Thanks to everyone for reviewing!!  Now I'm done.

Toodles.


	8. Letters

CHAPTER EIGHT: LETTERS

**Saturday, 30th January 1999**

When Buffy had fully tired herself out from the training session she'd put herself through earlier, she turned her attention to the boxes that she'd received.  After unpacking her belongings, (which had included a wand that Giles said would work for a Slayer, as it had belonged to a Slayer seven generations before her) and placing them neatly in the chest of drawers by her desk, she'd had no other option but to look at the letters that scattered her desk.

She sighed and sat on her bed, knowing that she couldn't read these whilst standing.  She arranged them into an order she assumed would be best to read them in and opened the first envelope.

_Dear Buffy,_

_I trust that Professor Dumbledore has taken the liberty of passing these items on to you.  Your mother helped to put a few of your personal belongings together. There is a leather pouch full of wizarding money which no doubt you will find useful.   I would have sent some of your weapons, but…_

Moving along, I know that things must be very confusing for you at the moment, but I believe that Hogwarts is the best place for you to be right now, far better than anywhere the Council would have forced you into at any rate.  I am honoured to have been called your Watcher, your friend, your father-figure, but I've been told we can have no more contact after this.  Just know that I am still so very proud of you and what you have done for this world.  You will not be forgotten.

Giles.

Buffy wiped back tears, wondering if reading all of these letters in one hit was the best idea.  She put the letter aside and opened the next one, breathing in deeply and hoping to not be completely shattered by anything her mother had to say.

Dear Buffy,

I wish I could say that I wasn't disappointed, but I cannot tell you that, because I am.  But I still love you.  Mr Giles explained that accidents have happened to other Slayers and that, whilst it is tragic, it is not uncommon.  I miss you terribly, Buffy, and I wish that you could come back to Sunnydale.  I hope that you can get the help that you need in wherever you are.  Stay safe, stay strong and remember that I will always love you.

Mom.

Dear Buff,

Not too sure what to write, y'know, just that I hope you're okay wherever you are.  Giles wouldn't tell us where they'd taken you, just that we shouldn' expect any letters.  The Council's really strict apparently.  I'm missing you already Buff, and I wish I could understand what happened and what you're going through.  You're my best friend, Buff, my hero.  Stay strong and know that we love you.  Cordy say to say 'hey' and that she hopes that you're alright, wherever you are.  Of course, she said it in her usual forty percent compliment way, but you get the picture.  Miss ya, love ya, really wanna hug ya. 

Xander.

Dear Buffy,

I can't believe you're really gone.  When Giles explained what happened it was…so surreal.  I miss you already Buff, you're my best friend.  Giles says I may never see you again, and I'm not coping too well with that.  Grr, see!  There's tears smudging the paper now.  And, seeing as this is pretty much my last letter to you, I guess I want to say thank you for everything you've done for me.  For being my friend, for saving my life, for introducing me to the not-so-shy me that I am.  Before you, no one took any notice of who I was, but you did, and for that I will forever be grateful.  You're a great person Buffy, even without all the destiny and mythic responsibility.  I'll miss you every day!  (Oh, Oz wants to say hey: Hey Buff.  Stay cool.  We'll miss our Daphne.  Oz.)  I hope you're alright, wherever you are.  Remember that no matter what has happened, we love you.

Willow.

Buffy swallowed hard and looked at the final two letters.  Angel and Faith.  She wasn't too sure that she wanted to open either one.  Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she was fairly certain that she resembled a drowned rat, but she had to know.  She couldn't put this off any longer.

B,

Wish things coulda been different.  Get some, get gone, right?  I'm outta SunnyD with a new Watcher.  Better than screwing up everyone else's lives right like I screwed up yours. 

Faith.

Buffy was slightly comforted by the fact that Faith was out of Sunnydale.  It made her feel a little safer in regards to the safety of her friends and family.  Buffy didn't even want to imagine the damage that Faith could have caused if she had stayed in Sunnydale.  With Buffy's luck, Faith would have ended up working for the biggest big bad she could find and going completely Rogue on them.  Buffy pushed the letter into the pile of others and reached for Angel's, expecting it all to end in even more tears than the ones she had already cried.

Dear Buffy,

When Giles told me about what had happened, all I wanted was to be the one to help you as you have helped me for the past three years.  When he explained about where you were, I knew that you would be well looked after.  Giles explained that we can't write to each other after this, and that with all likelihood, you would never return to Sunnydale.  I hope that when you return to the States, or to wherever you are assigned that you can find peace and happiness with someone who can offer you everything that I can't.  Peace, happiness, sunlight, normality.  I want only the best for you, and I truly hope that you are able to find it.  You are my salvation, Buffy and I thank you for all that you've done for me.  Stay strong Buffy.  It's hard, it's painful and it's everyday, but it's what we have to do.  I will always love you.  Be happy.

Angel.

----

Ahhh, you ppl are brilliant with the reviews and emails!  Fully making my day over here!!  In answer to a couple of questions: 

What's the go with the Scoobies – they will make an appearance (though not at Hogwarts…I don't think…not sure yet).  Not for a few more chapters though…

Why not just have her drink veritaserum – cos that would spoil the story (and it will get explained better, I promise)

Buffy went to Willow before going to see Giles – if you read my note in the first chapter, I changed it for my own convenience.

Anyways, thanks again for all your continuing feedback! You guys rock my world!

Toodles.


	9. Slytherins

CHAPTER NINE: SLYTHERINS

**Sunday, 31st January 1999**

Buffy finally emerged from her room early on Sunday morning, fairly confident that she'd slept as much as she could.  It would probably take a few more days to completely adjust to the time difference, but she was forcing herself to keep regular hours.  Sunday breakfast was fairly quiet, the Slytherin students not making any efforts to go out of their way to introduce themselves, and Buffy was just fine with that.  Draco had either skipped breakfast or had come and gone already, and Buffy was surprised to find that she was disappointed.  She hadn't seen him since Friday night, and she wanted to know if he was still talking to her or not.

She smiled to herself remembering the bad-boy Slytherin who hated that he wasn't the villain he tried to portray himself as.  Buffy sighed and went to stand up, but before she stood, someone sat beside her and held out a hand for her to shake.

"Blaise Zabini," the girl said, neither smiling nor frowning, her face completely neutral.

"Buffy Summers," Buffy replied, shaking Blaise's hand.  

"You're new, aren't you?" Blaise asked.  "If not, then I'm even more absent-minded than I thought."

"Yeah, I'm new," Buffy replied, beginning to feel herself liking this girl.

"Well, thank god for that.  I thought my theory of knowing every Slytherin by face, if not name, was about to be shattered," Blaise said.  

Buffy grinned and felt herself relax.  She'd been worried by Hermione's description of the Slytherin's, but from only a minute of conversation with one, Buffy could only hope that Hermione had been generalising.

"So, have you met anyone from the house yet?" Blaise asked.  

Buffy shook her head.  "Just you and Draco Malfoy," she replied.

Blaise smirked and shook her head sardonically.  "He's fast, I'll give him that.  What did you think of our Slytherin Dragon anyway?"

"Pretty much a hottie," Buffy commented, deciding to be as honest as possible.

Blaise grinned and nodded her agreement.  "I'm with you on that." Blaise pointed to one of the girls across from them, a hard-faced girl with short dark-brown hair.  "That's Pansy there, she keeps throwing herself at him.  She's convinced that they're dating."

"They're not though, right?" Buffy asked curiously.

She grinned internally, remembering Draco's outburst from the evening before.  _I've never dated let alone womanised!!_

Blaise shook her head.  "Can you imagine someone as gorgeous as Draco going out with pug-faced Pansy?"

Buffy shook her head, laughing a little.  

"Next to Pansy is Millicent.  She's not so horrible, and she's nice enough when she's away from Pansy.  Pug-face is just a first class bitch.  Her family was fairly closely connected with the Malfoy's, so she believes that every person on this earth should just bow before her," Blaise explained.

Buffy was vaguely surprised by this girls behaviour.  She was glad that Hermione hadn't been completely right about the Slytherins.

"Y'know, I was kinda expecting the Slytherins to be less friendly," Buffy commented.

Blaise gave a small smile and shrugged her shoulders.  "The Slytherins can't all be as good as me," she replied with a teasing smile on her face.

Buffy grinned and looked curiously at the girls that Blaise had pointed out before.  They weren't the most friendly looking people, and Buffy knew that Hermione's judgments about Slytherins would probably apply to those two girls.

"You are a Seventh Year, yes?" 

Buffy nodded.  "They're making me learn a lot of the First year stuff, but I think I'll be sitting in the Seventh Year classes for the most part."

"Where are you sleeping then?" Blaise asked.  "You're not in with the rest of us Seventh Years."

"There wasn't enough room," Buffy replied.  _And I'm not trusted_ she thought bitterly.  "I've got a room to myself.  It's pretty small but, it's alright."

Blaise looked positively jealous at the thought of having a private room.  After seven years of sharing with Pansy, Millicent, Claire and Keeta, Blaise would have been happy to have a room of her own.

"Damn you're lucky," Blaise commented.  She stood and looked down at the new Seventh Year girl.  "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone.  Just don't tell Pansy what I said about her."

"My lips are sealed," Buffy promised.

She stood and the two Slytherin girls walked down to where four other Seventh Year Slytherin girls were seated.  Bliase sat beside Millicent and Buffy took a seat on the other side of Blaise.

"Everyone, this is Buffy Summers.  Buffy this is Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Claire McNair and Keeta Seffer," Blaise said, pointing to each of the girls in turn.

Buffy waved and memorised the faces and names of the people in her house.  Millicent, Claire and Keeta offering Buffy their hands to shake, whilst Pansy merely scowled, annoyed at suddenly having competition in the form of a tiny, blonde girl.

"Nice to meet you all," Buffy said politely.

Pansy scowled even further.  Tiny, blonde _and_ American.  Boys liked girls who were different.

"They're letting _Yanks_ in here now?" Pansy asked, her voice that of a true snob who thought far too highly of herself.  "Honestly, Dumbledore is letting the worst type of people into this school nowadays."

"Well, they let you in didn't they?" Buffy asked.  She winced even as she said it, unable to believe that after one comment, her inner bitchy Prom-Queen had come out to play.  She half-expected the other Slytherins to start defending Pansy, but to Buffy's surprise, most of them smirked and hid their laughter behind their hands.

Pansy huffed angrily and looked around for support.  Finding none, she merely glared at the Slayer who met her gaze steadily, forcing herself not to glare, merely to look.  Blaise grinned and turned to look at Pansy.

"Looks like you've got competition Parkinson," Blaise taunted.

Pansy looked at the Slayer who didn't even flinch under the meanest of Pansy's glares.  All Blaise and the other Slytherin girls could think was that if looks could kill, Buffy Summers would be about forty feet under.  Blaise was fairly impressed by Buffy's steely determination to not look away and to not sink down to Pansy's level and return the glare.  In the end it was Pansy who turned away.

Buffy bit back a grin and calmly took a roll off the table, buttering it quickly and picking at the soft bread. 

Keeta, Claire and Millicent all exchanged grins, unable to believe what they'd just seen.

"So, where are you from, Buffy?" Keeta asked curiously.

"California," Buffy replied.  "Originally from Los Angeles, but I moved to a little town called Sunnydale a coupla years ago."

"Los Angeles," Claire breathed with envy.  "I've always wanted to go there.  They say that the best muggle shops are there."

"Some of the best," Buffy agreed.  "You'd wanna go to New York for the best ones."

Pansy sneered and turned her glare on Claire.  "Why would you want to shop in muggle stores?  Honestly Claire."

Claire blushed a little and Buffy was reminded sharply of Cordelia and her sheep.  Except it seemed as though Pansy's sheep weren't just followers.  They looked as though they had their own thoughts but were just too scared to voice them in front of Pansy.

"Yeah, honestly Claire.  How dare you have an original idea," a new voice added sardonically.  

Buffy looked up at the owner of the voice.  Draco Malfoy stood there smirking.  He took a seat beside Buffy, stealing half of Buffy's bread roll, earning him a hit on the shoulder.  Pansy sat there, green with envy.  Draco had never done anything like that with her, and they'd known each other for seven years.  She just couldn't understand how someone who had been at Hogwarts for only two days was suddenly joking around with Draco Malfoy, hitting him playfully.  It just didn't make sense.

"You tell her Malfoy," Blaise added, grinning happily.  She loved when Draco put Pansy in her place.

"Just did Zabini," Draco replied.  He turned to look at Buffy who was holding in a grin.  "These girls aren't rubbing off on you, are they?  I'd hate to see you turn into a sheep your first week at Hogwarts."

"That almost sounds as though you worry about my welfare," Buffy commented.  "From what I've heard from these lovely ladies, I shouldn't expect concern from someone like _you_."

Draco's eyes flashed angrily and he glared at Pansy, automatically blaming anything that was said on the ringleader of the Slytherin group.  He turned back to Buffy, anger still in his eyes.  He saw her giggling and his anger dropped.

"Let me guess, they didn't say anything about me, did they"

Buffy shook her head.  "You catch on quickly.  Has anyone ever told you that you're paranoid?"

Draco scowled.  "Just for that…" he grabbed the rest of her bread roll and stuffed it into his mouth before she had a chance to reclaim it.

Buffy rolled her eyes and calmly reached for another bread roll.  Draco sighed, realising that this girl wouldn't rise to the bait, no matter what he did.  He didn't know whether to scowl or jump for joy.  Someone had seen past the scowl and smirk and had declared him to be something other than the horrible person everyone else had seen.  It was refreshing, but strangely scary.  Draco didn't know what to expect next and the thought of that was unsettling.

Blaise smiled a little, aware of the discomfort that Draco was feeling.  It was a little strange to see the usually cocky and arrogant boy fumble a little, and Blaise thought it was utterly gorgeous.  She wondered whether Buffy and Draco would end up together or not.  They made a cute couple, in her opinion, and they already seemed to be comfortable around each other.

"So, what brings you to Hogwarts Buffy?" Pansy asked, emphasising Buffy's name.  

"Well, I got on a plane, and it brought me to England.  Got brought here, and that's pretty much how I got here," Buffy said.

Pansy huffed once again and rolled her eyes, not liking the fact that her friends were giggling at the blonde girls facetious answer.

"But, _why_?" Pansy asked, her voice taking on a whining tone that made the other Slytherins cringe.

"To learn magic," Buffy replied, addressing Pansy as though she were a very small child with learning problems.

Draco stifled his laughter, pretending to be more interested in buttering another roll.  He definitely liked this girl.

Pansy couldn't take it anymore.  She stood up abruptly, nearly tripping on her cloak as she climbed over the bench.  She hurried off without another word, leaving the Slytherins in silence.  When the doors to the Great Hall closed behind the angry girl, they burst into a fit of laughter.

Students from other houses craned their necks to see what the Slytherins were laughing at, so unaccustomed to hearing anything but scathing remarks and quiet smirks from the students.  

"What, might one ask, is so humorous?" a cool voice asked from behind Draco, Buffy and Blaise.  

Buffy sighed, just knowing that Snape was going to be the equivalent of Snyder, except with hair.  The teaching world must have had it in for her, she was certain of it.

"Nothing Professor," Draco quickly jumped in, seeing the way Buffy had reacted to the Potions Master.  "Just an…inside joke."

Professor Snape eyed the teenaged boy warily, but finally nodded.  

"Try to keep it to a dull roar," Snape warned, before turning and stalking off.  Buffy held back a grin at the sight he made.  

"He looks like an over-grown bat," Buffy whispered, leaning back towards Draco.  Draco grinned and took another look at the Professor.  He held back a bark of laughter, but he completely agreed.  

As the group began grinning and laughing again, Buffy felt some of the previous tension lift from her shoulders.  Whilst she didn't want to be away from her family and her friends, if being at Hogwarts was the alternative, she wasn't entirely unhappy about it.

---

Mega thanks to everyone for all your reviews and support.  

Ooo, me's just seen the last five eps of Buffy!  Yayness!  So sad…*sniffles* Bloody brilliant though, so no complaints from the aussie girl…nope, no complaints at all. ;)

Toodles.


	10. Lessons

CHAPTER TEN: LESSONS

**Monday, 1st February 1999**

Buffy looked over her schedule once more.  She rubbed her eyes tiredly and tried to calm herself down. She was nervous about going to class, though she wasn't as nervous as she had been yesterday.  After meeting Draco and Blaise as well as the other Slytherin girls, Buffy felt slightly more at ease. The only problem was, she still knew nothing of magic.

With, books, quills and ink in hand, Buffy made her way into the Slytherin Common Room.  Blaise, Keeta and Claire all looked up and offered her bright smiles that seemed out of place at the early hour of seven in the morning.

"Morning," they greeted.

"Morning guys," she replied, taking a seat beside them. 

"Are you taking Seventh Year Potions?" Blaise asked.

Buffy looked down at her schedule.  She was taking Seventh Year Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Divination.  Her First Year classes were Potions (again) and Transfigurations.  She nodded and Blaise handed her a page of parchment with notes on it.

"Snape always tries to humiliate his students.  Especially ones he doesn't like very much.  He didn't seem too keen on you, so…try and memorise some of this before class.  He might just like you a bit better," Blaise suggested.

Buffy took the piece of parchment and gave the Slytherin girls a wide grin.  

"Pansy wanted to give you this one," Claire said, handing Buffy another piece of parchment.  "Everything on there's wrong.  She wanted you to completely make an arse of yourself."

Buffy looked over the fake notes and scoffed.  She knew some of the ingredients on there from Willow and Giles' conversations about magic.  Even without Claire's warning, Buffy would have known that the notes were wrong.  She scanned over the proper notes and forced herself to remember some of the names of potions and ingredients and their effects.

She glanced at her watch and jumped a little.

"I gotta jet you guys," she said, standing up quickly.  "Thanks heaps for the notes.  I'll see you guys in class."

The Slytherin girls could only wave as she departed quickly, unsure what had caused her to leave without warning.  They shrugged and went back to their conversation before eventually working up the energy to go down to breakfast.

------------------------

Buffy was in Dumbledore's office at exactly seven thirty, seated on the other side of his desk.  She was nervous and determined to keep herself from fidgeting, but she wasn't having too much luck.  Her hands seemed to have formed minds of their own and were twisting and turning in her lap.

"Now then, Miss Summers, I've arranged for Miss Granger to meet with you in the library for two hours every afternoon," Dumbledore explained.  "She'll be able to help you with any problems you have in regards to your school work.  The Professors are aware of why you're here, but not of who you are.  You are not to tell them of your status, and the students are not to know either."

Buffy nodded, used to being 'secret-identity-girl' at both of her old schools.  

"Now that we've cleared that topic," Dumbledore said, as he stood up and took out a wooden box that was in the drawer of his desk.  "There's the other matter of your strength."

Buffy breathed in deeply and pulled up the sleeve of her cloak and her blouse, holding out her arm for the Professor to inject the compound into her veins.  Dumbledore looked vaguely impressed that she had capitulated without having to be asked.  He levelled the needle and injected the serum into her veins.

"You're free to go Miss Summers," Dumbledore said.  "And remember, every Monday morning, without fail."

"Yes sir," Buffy replied quietly, standing and collecting her belongings.  She left the room quickly and headed for her first classroom, deciding against breakfast. She was too nervous to eat.  She looked at her schedule once more and groaned.

Defence Against the Dark Arts.  With Professor Ethan Rayne.  Buffy was fairly certain that her Monday's were always going to be hell.

------------------------

Buffy took a seat beside Blaise, shooting a quick smile at Hermione, Ron and Harry who were seated on the other side of the classroom.  Draco sat behind Buffy and threw a small piece of parchment at the back of her head, missing her and landing on her desk.  She took it and threw it back to him, not even looking to aim it properly, and hitting him directly in the face.  He sputtered a little and threw it back at her, missing once again.  Buffy smiled but didn't turn around.  She pushed the parchment into her pocket and turned to look at Blaise.

"So, what's the go with this Dark Arts subject?" Buffy asked curiously.  "What sorta stuff are we learning about?"

"We started a new topic on Friday actually, so at  least you won't be too far behind for it," Blaise replied, slightly excited by what the newest topic was.  It was interesting and had captured the attention of all of the students, including the students who hated being in a classroom.  "We've just begun learning about vampires."

Buffy felt her breath catch in her throat.  Of all the things to be learning about, it had to be about that.  She nodded nervously and gave a small smile, trying to not look as though she were about to begin hyperventilating.

The door opened again and Buffy smirked a little as Ethan Rayne walked into the room, his robes fluttering behind him.  He walked to his desk and leant against it, his eyes meeting Buffy's steadily.  She looked back at him, a challenge written in her eyes.  He smirked and opened up a book that was on the desk.

"Good morning all," he said cheerily.  "I trust you've all read chapter three.  'Vampires, Demons and the Forces of Darkness'.  We'll be concentrating on the content on page 74."

Several of the students groaned, but most of them nodded.  They all reached for their own textbooks, opening up to the correct page.  Buffy opened up her book to the correct page and felt herself pale.  'The Vampire Slayer'.  She looked up, and found Ethan grinning at her.  She glared and forced herself to look away.

"Let's open this up for discussion," Ethan began.  "Does anyone have any theories that they'd like to share on the Vampire Slayer?"

Hermione's hand was in the air almost immediately.  

"Miss Granger?"

"Professor, has it ever been proven?" Hermione asked.  "The existence of a Slayer, I mean."

"No, Miss Granger, it hasn't," Ethan replied, holding back a laugh when he saw Buffy's eyes flash angrily.  "Whether she is myth or fact has never been proven.  Some believe her to be a romantic notion, a fairytale."

Buffy was struggling to keep herself under control. She had to wonder whether or not Ethan had set this up deliberately or not.  This seemed to be far too coincidental to her.  But, if the reading assignment had been given out on Friday, then it wouldn't have been possible.  Except that the Seventh Years did have DADA on a Friday afternoon, and it had been then that buffy had been on her way to England.  She scowled and clenched her hand into a fist.

"Anyone else have anything to say about Slayers?" Ethan asked.

"Are they always girls?" one of the Gryffindor boys asked.  

"Assuming that they are indeed real, Mr Finnigan, then yes.  They are always girls," Ethan replied.

"But why girls?" Mr Finnigan asked curiously.  "Wouldn't boys be stronger?"

Ethan chuckled and shook his head.  

"No Seamus.  If the legends are to be believed then this 'one girl in all the world' has been gifted with strengths and skills that no one else possesses.  And a girl is better merely because they are a lot smaller.  Generally, girls tend to be a little more obedient as well.  Although, in some cases, that may not always be true," Ethan said, sparing a glance at Buffy.

Buffy was biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from pouncing on her antagonist.  She was really beginning to wish that she'd let Giles shoot him whilst he'd been affected by the band candy.  

"What sort of strengths and skills, Professor?" Draco asked curiously.

He'd been intrigued by the entire notion of a Vampire Slayer.  One girl who could kill demons and vampires single-handedly was something that he wanted to see.  

"Speed, strength, agility, flexibility, a preternatural cognisance for all things supernatural," Ethan listed.

"Cognisance?" Claire repeated in confusion.

"A sort of early-warning system.  They can feel when there are supernatural creatures within an area," Ethan explained.  "It's a tingling sensation at the back of the neck, a gut feeling or slight cramping sensation."

Ethan wasn't wrong, Buffy thought.  The hairs on the back of her neck had been on edge since she'd come to Hogwarts.  There was so much magic in the air that it was messing with her 'spider-sense'.  She absently touched the back of her neck.

"So, if the Slayer did exist, and I'm not saying she does," Ron began, "would she get rid of regular evil stuff.  People, I mean?"

Ethan looked at Buffy sharply and she forced herself not to sink lower into her seat.  She met his eyes steadily, refusing to look away.  She wasn't guilty of the murder of Allan Finch, and she wasn't about to give Ethan Rayne the satisfaction of thinking he had a way of getting her to squirm.

"The Slayer is forbidden to kill humans," Ethan stated clearly.  "No matter who they are, or how evil they are.  If they need to be dealt with, they are to be disarmed rather than killed.  I would imagine that if a Slayer were to kill someone, even by accident, there would be grave consequences.  The Calling of a new Slayer perhaps."  

Ethan paused dramatically and let that information sink in.

"So…who here knows how the activation of Slayers happens?" Ethan asked.

"When one Slayer dies, the next is called," Draco answered.  "Which is why there's only ever one Slayer at a time."

"Thank you Mr Malfoy," Ethan said.

Buffy wondered curiously whether or not Ethan knew about Faith or not.  It sounded as though he didn't, and he hadn't looked at her to say that he knew otherwise.  Though both times that Buffy had met Ethan, Faith either hadn't been Called as the Slayer or she hadn't been in town.

"Alright, can anyone tell me the title of the Slayer's guardian?  It wasn't in the reading, but some of you may have researched this topic for entertainment value."

All eyes looked to Hermione, who flushed under everyone's scrutiny.  She shook her head.  She hadn't even heard of Slayers before she'd read about them for DADA.

"Anyone?" Ethan asked.  "Twenty points to anyone who can tell me."

Buffy couldn't resist.  "A Watcher."

The class all turned to look at the girl who barely anyone knew.  She thankfully didn't blush, and just kept her eyes on Ethan.  

"Very good Miss Summers," Ethan replied, smirking once more.  He clapped his hands once, getting the attention of the students back on to him.  He changed the topic, talking about vampires and their various traits, and Buffy was thankful for the reprieve.  She sat back and listened to the students argue about the different vampiric lores and myths, waiting for class to be over.  

She flipped through the DADA textbook randomly and her eye caught a familiar word.  She looked at the picture on the page and looked up at Ethan with a calculating grin on her face.  Ethan caught it and didn't particularly like the look of it.  He'd never admit it, but he was intimidated by Buffy Summers.

Buffy just slipped a bookmark into the book to mark her page and smiled innocently, unable to wait until the day that she could get her revenge on Ethan.

-----

Hey hey ppl!  Thank you all sooo much for all the responses I've been getting for this fic!  Truly phenomenal!  I do have a favour to ask though.  For those of you who have read 'A Murderer's Daughter' and are keen for a sequel, I really need HELP!  *lol*  I've got no idea about what people want to see in that fic, and I really need some plot ideas.  So, if you have any ideas for plot lines, please, please, PLEASE email me (katters_s@hotmail.com) and tell me your ideas.  DO NOT put them in the reviews area!!  Anyways, thanks again!

Toodles.


	11. Potions

CHAPTER ELEVEN: POTIONS 

**Monday, 1st February 1999**

Buffy walked towards the Potions classroom between Blaise and Draco, the three of them in mid-conversation.

"God I hate Mondays," Draco commented tiredly.  After the Double DADA lesson was a Double Potions lesson, which Draco was not looking forward to.  As much as he didn't mind Potions with Snape, he just didn't enjoy the company of the Gryffindors all day long.  

"Yeah, I can see Monday being the suckiest of days as well," Buffy commented.

The drug in her system was beginning to make her sluggish and tired.  She hated that she wasn't as fast as she used to be, that her energy was drained.  It felt as though she was getting the flu, and if this was how the next six months were going to be, she wasn't too sure she'd be able to do it.  She sighed and remembered the alternative, forcing herself to perk up.

"At least we've only got DADA and Potions today," Blaise added.  "I don't think I could have handled Divinations as well."

Buffy looked at her new friend with interest.  "You're taking Divination?"

Blaise nodded.  "You?"

"Yeah.  What's it like?"

Blaise shook her head.  "Boring.  If she's not talking about Jupiter or Mars, she's predicting the death of Harry Potter, and there's only so many times that she can do that before it gets old.  She's been doing it for years.  You'd think she'd find a new subject."

Buffy grinned a little and the trio walked into the Potions classroom, seating themselves along the table.  

"I dunno," Draco said thoughtfully.  "I don't mind her speculating about Potter's death."

Buffy hit his arm playfully and he rubbed it gently, a mock pout on his lips.  "Play nice," she warned.

"Why, you gonna punish me if I don't?" he asked, a smirk on his handsome features.

Buffy tilted her head to the side and considered the question.

"It certainly has potential.  My last boyfriend was a big fan of chains."

Draco went wide-eyed and Buffy couldn't help but laugh, Blaise giggling madly at Draco's deer-caught-in-headlights look.  

"Tell me you're joking," Draco demanded.

Buffy just smiled innocently and began organising her parchment and quills.  For the life of her, she couldn't understand why they didn't just use pens.  It was awkward trying to write with a feather, but there was also a certain element of charm to it.  Draco grabbed her arm and looked at her.

"You _are_ joking aren't you?  You're going to laugh and call me paranoid any minute now, right?" 

"Well, just cos you're paranoid doesn't mean it didn't happen," she replied vaguely.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Draco asked.

Buffy looked towards Blaise who was still having trouble composing herself.  

"You'd think for someone with a rep as a bad boy, he wouldn't be so freaked out by kinky stuff," she commented.

Blaise shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.  She composed herself for long enough to say "maybe he's just jealous."

Buffy turned back to look at Draco who was still looking worried.  

"Summers?  Are you or are you not joking?" Draco asked.

Buffy just smirked and shrugged her shoulders.  Draco went to ask again, but Professor Snape stalked quickly into the classroom.  The room was silent within an instant and Blaise had stopped giggling, her face completely sombre.   

Snape scowled, turning his attention to Buffy.  In the seat directly in front of the blonde Slayer, Harry sat, thankful that Snape's attention was fixated elsewhere for a change.  He felt slightly sorry for the Slytherin girl though.  Even Ron, who still wasn't convinced about Buffy not being a completely horrible person felt sympathetic towards Buffy.

"Miss Summers," Snape greeted.  "Good of you to join us for this class.  Perhaps we should start out by testing you on some basic Potion making skills."

Buffy wisely stayed silent.  She knew that he was just trying to humiliate her, and she wasn't about to let that happen.  Even if she didn't know the answers to half the questions, she refused to let Snape make her feel inadequate.  It wasn't her fault that she was here, and it wasn't her fault that she'd missed Seven Years of prior Potion lessons.  If she didn't know the answers, then that was fine with her.

"What, Miss Summers, is an ingredient that can be used interchangeably with a newt eye?" Snape asked.

"A salamander eye," Buffy replied, remembering Giles complaining about using inferior ingredients to save money on spells.

Snape glowered.  He hadn't been expecting her to know the answer.

"And, what sort of a spell would require the herb celandine?" 

"Well, generally it's a protective herb," Buffy replied, remembering this particular herb from the list that Blaise had provided her with earlier.  "It can be used in spells to prevent depression."

Snape was definitely not happy.  He figured that the new Slytherin girl would have known absolutely nothing about Potions.  He figured that one more wouldn't hurt.

"And what is the use of mullein?"

Buffy paused.  That hadn't been on the list, but it sounded awfully familiar.  She searched through her memory banks, knowing that it was Giles that had told her about it.  Suddenly it clicked.  

"It has strong protective magic as well.  A lot of people use it to prevent nightmares," Buffy replied.  Giles had made Buffy place several sprigs of the plant in her room when she'd been having particularly bad nightmares after her return to Sunnydale after her self-imposed exile after killing Angel.  She grinned as she remembered Willow's input after Buffy had told the redheaded girl.  "It's also used to attract people of the opposite sex."

Snape glared at the girl and decided to move on.  He hated when students managed to show him up.  And he definitely did not like Buffy Summers at all.  

"Moving on…"

------------------------

Later that evening at dinner, the Seventh Year section of the Slytherin table was bustling with noise.  The other houses couldn't remember Slytherin ever being so rowdy, and to see so many of the usually sombre or smirking girls giggling like the school girls they were was definitely new.

"How did you know that last one?" Blaise asked curiously.  "It wasn't on the list, I'm sure of it."

"It wasn't on the list," Buffy confirmed.  "I had problems sleeping earlier this year.  Some of my friends told me to use mullein to help me stop having nightmares."

"Did it work?" Blaise asked.

Buffy shrugged and nodded.  "Mostly."

Blaise knew well enough to drop the subject.  She suddenly giggled as she thought of a new topic.  

"You weren't serious about the chains were you?" she asked.  "You never did answer Malfoy about that."

Buffy laughed and winked at her new friend.  "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Blaise grinned and craned her neck past Buffy to see Malfoy sitting with his two lackeys, glancing every so often at Buffy who was ignorant of having Draco's attention.  

"I'm gonna start taking that as a yes if you don't answer," Blaise warned.

"I'll just not answer then," Buffy replied.

Blaise's mouth dropped open in shock.  "You're joking."

Buffy grinned and took a sip of the water from her goblet.  She glanced across the table and caught Pansy's gaze.  Pansy glared at her, scowling unhappily.  Buffy just grinned, finding Pansy's hatred of her all too amusing.  She was Cordelia-esque, and Buffy just couldn't help but smile.  Of course, Buffy's smiles just made Pansy all the more annoyed.

Buffy turned her attention back to Blaise and shook her head.  "It's a long story.  And it doesn't actually involve anything sexual.  But yes, he was chained at some point."

Blaise couldn't help but laugh.  "Firmly deciding that I don't want to know."

----

What's with the lack of updates going on around here?  Weird much…

Toodles


	12. Scoobies

CHAPTER TWELVE: SCOOBIES

**Monday, 1st February 1999**

The Scoobies gathered in the library, seated quietly around the table.  Willow had tears in her eyes and Xander looked tired and forlorn.  Cordelia and even Oz looked lost.  Giles was in his office, speaking to someone loudly on the phone.  The Scoobies could tell that the conversation wasn't going the way that Giles had wanted it to go.  Their theory of Giles' frustration was further proved when Giles slammed down the receiver and stalked angrily into the main area of the library.

"Pillock."

"What did the Council say Giles?" Willow asked quietly.

Giles ran a tired hand through his hair.  He had been trying for the past two days to get Travers to allow a truth spell to be placed on the two Slayers so they could determine what had truly happened, but Travers was being obstinate about the entire affair.

"They refuse to allow any sort of investigation into what happened.  They're taking Faith's word as truth," the ex-Watcher explained.

"I thought Watcher's were meant to be smart," Xander commented.  "Why won't Travers do anything about this?"

Giles sighed and sat down at the table beside Willow.  He removed his glasses and wiped them clean before attempting to answer.

"My guess is that Travers is not Buffy's biggest fan.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that he basically hates her," Giles explained.  "Keeping her away from her friends and family is probably his way of revenge."

"Revenge?" Cordelia asked.  "For what?"

"For Merrick," Giles replied.

The Scoobies all exchanged confused looks.  They'd never heard that name before.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say 'who'?" Xander asked.

"Her first Watcher," Giles replied.  "John Merrick Travers.  He was killed when Buffy was still in LA.  A very powerful Master Vampire named Lothos had Buffy under a sort of thrall, and she froze during battle.  Lothos went to kill her, and Merrick intercepted.  He was staked through the heart with his own stake.  Buffy was forced to watch it."

"Poor Buffy," Willow whispered quietly.  One of the tears that had been welling slid down her cheek.  She'd never asked Buffy about her time as the Slayer before Buffy had moved to Sunnydale.  Hearing that Buffy had lost a Watcher, whom Willow assumed Buffy had respected in the same way that they all respected Giles was heartbreaking for the redheaded girl.

"So where does this Travers guy fit in?" Cordelia asked. 

"Travers was Merrick's brother," Giles answered.  "They were incredibly close.  No doubt Travers blames Buffy for Merrick's death.  Hearing that Buffy has been accused of killing a human by staking them in the heart probably hit rather close to home for him."

"You ruin my life, so I ruin yours," Oz surmised.

Giles nodded.  He replaced his glasses and regarded the Scoobies intently.

"The Council is unfortunately very much under Travers thumb.  We were lucky that they allowed her to be placed in Hogwarts.  If she'd been placed under the care of the Council, chances are we would never see her again.  They're methods of re-education would be…brutal," Giles admitted.  "Whilst she may not exactly be trusted within Hogwarts grounds, she is not openly resented by the students, only the staff."

"Too bad Snyder isn't a teacher at Hogwarts," Xander joked.  "He'd have a field day."

"Quite.  As it is, we have more of a chance of trying to prove Buffy's innocence in this with her at Hogwarts," Giles explained.

The Scoobies exchanged worried glances.  In the past two and a half days, their group had been shattered.  They couldn't even begin to imagine how much worse Buffy was probably feeling in all of this.  They had no idea of whether to believe Buffy or Faith, though they were more inclined to believe their friend rather than the newer Slayer.

Faith had been shipped out of Sunnydale right after Buffy had been taken.  The brunette Slayer had been given a new Watcher, and Wesley had retreated back to England, much to the delight of the Scoobies and Giles especially.  They didn't want to believe that Buffy had killed someone, even if it had been an accident, but the truth was, it may well have happened.

They could all remember the incident with Ted, Joyce's boyfriend.  He had turned out to be a robot, but before that secret had been discovered, they'd all believed him to be a human.  Add that to Giles' explanation that accidents had happened to other Slayers, and the Scoobies had enough reason to doubt that Buffy was truly innocent.  They wanted to believe it, but having no word from Buffy even though they knew she wasn't allowed to correspond with them, they all doubted that the Slayer was truly infallible.

"How _are_ we meant to prove it?" Willow asked.  "With Faith gone and Buffy not being allowed to write or call, how exactly are we meant to prove that she didn't do it when we're not even sure if she really did it or not?  And even if we can prove it, who's to say that the Council would actually do anything about it if that Travers guy really is as nuts as he sounds?  And what if-"

"Wills, breath," Oz said quietly.

Giles sighed and shook his head.  "I really don't know," Giles replied in answer to every single one of Willow's rambled out questions. 

Willow looked at the downtrodden group and spoke decisively.  "We'll find a way.  We always do."

--------

Yay to the sudden updates…grr at ff.net for being all blechy!  ;)  Thanks to everyone for reviewing!  Ur all wonderful people!

Toodles.

K.


	13. Predictions

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: DIVINATION

**Tuesday, 2nd February 1999**

The Slytherins were on the floor around low tables in the extremely warm Divination Tower.  Professor Trelawny, whom Buffy thought looked far too much like a very large bug, was rambling about the alignment of the planets, and about how her inner-eye was finely tuned.

The Slytherin girls all glanced at each other before hiding their giggles behind their hands.  Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes, though he wasn't sure what he was rolling them at, Trelawny or the giggling girls.  He looked at Buffy and bit back a smile, enjoying the sight of her giddiness.  He wasn't sure what it was about the small blonde girl that had hooked his attention, but he rather liked the warm fuzziness that had settled into his stomach.  

Trelawny walked around the classroom, her hands hovering over some peoples heads as though she was trying to read their minds.  Buffy rolled her eyes, but forced herself to sit still while Trelawney stood behind her.  The Professor gasped and everyone turned to look at her.

"My Inner Eye never lies, my dear," Trelawney began ominously.  "I sense that you Miss Summers, have a great gift for the receptivity to the resonances of the future."

Buffy turned to look at Blaise, confusion evident on her face.  "And in some language that's English?"

"You'll be good at Divination," Blaise translated.

Buffy thought about it for a moment and then shrugged happily.  "Works for me."

"You're dreams will guide you, Miss Summers," Trelawney continued.  "Do not ignore them."

Buffy idly wondered whether Trelawney actually knew what she was talking about or not.  As the Slayer, Buffy was used to getting prophetic dreams about things to come.  She wasn't prone to ignoring her dreams either, so the Professor's advice was something that she already knew.

Trelawney went to move on, but she stopped, her hands still above Buffy.  Trelawney gasped again and placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder.

"I sense darkness in your future," the Professor pronounced.  "Death is circling over your head like a vulture, ever lower.  Your days are numbered."

The Slytherins shifted uneasily.  They were used to Trelawney predicting Harry Potter's death and they had come to expect it of her.  But she'd never once told another students imminent doom, especially not a Slytherin.  They looked at Buffy who didn't seem to be taking the words to heart.  She seemed calm and collected as she always did, and the others settled down slightly.  Draco looked a little upset at the thought of something happening to Buffy.

Buffy looked up at the Professor.  "Thanks for the warning," Buffy said flippantly.

Trelawney scowled at her, her eyes narrowing into two small slits behind her large glasses.  Trelawney moved on, upset that this new student that had power radiating off her wasn't too worried about the prediction of her death.

------------------------

Buffy sat in the library opposite Hermione Granger, the two of them with their heads bent over a Transfigurations book.  Buffy was surprised to find herself so interested in the subject, especially when she'd never really been too fond of magic when it had been Willow and Giles performing it.  But, it seemed so fascinating now.  

They'd been studying for over two hours, but neither of them wanted to stop.  Hermione found herself caught up in Buffy's enthusiasm of learning new things, and whilst Hermione wasn't learning anything new, she found herself enjoying helping Buffy learn.  

"You two aren't still in here, are you?" someone asked as they plopped into the seat beside Hermione.

Buffy looked up at Ron and nodded.  "Strangely enough, yes," she replied dryly.

Harry took the seat beside Buffy and leant across her to see what they were trying to learn.  He smiled as he remembered learning the spell that Hermione was trying to teach Buffy.  A match into a needle, one of the basic spells, though somewhat pointless.

"So, how have your first two days been?" Harry asked politely.

Buffy shrugged and leant back in her seat, cracking her back a little as she straightened up.

"They haven't been too horrible yet.  Snape's an alright teacher, except when he's trying to get me to make an idiot of myself."

Harry chuckled sympathetically.  "No offence to you, but I'm just grateful that he's found someone else to pick on."

Buffy sighed and absently tucked a strand of hair behind her ears.  

"I can just see him making the next five months of my a life a living nightmare," Buffy commented.  

"What other subjects did you have?" Ron asked curiously.  As much as he may not have liked or trusted Buffy, he was fascinated by her.  She seemed like an interesting person.

"Transfigurations which was alright.  Except that I'm taking it with a bunch of twelve year olds.  And Divination," Buffy answered.

Ron and Harry groaned simultaneously, rolling their eyes.

"You take it as well, I'm guessing," Buffy said.

"Yeah," Harry replied.  "Crazy old bat has predicted my death at least two hundred times."

"Well, you'll be happy to hear that another of your least favourite Professors has decided to start picking on me as well," Buffy commented.  

Harry looked at her intently.  He could understand why Trelawney would keep predicting his death.  He'd had so many people try to kill him over the last few years, and the predictions made no difference to him.  He couldn't, however, understand why Trelawney would be predicting the death of Buffy Summers.

"You didn't take her seriously did you?" Harry asked.

Buffy shook her head.  "Honestly, I don't think that woman could predict tomorrow's date let alone any real event."

Harry sighed with relief.  He remembered his initial panic the first time Trelawney had told him that he was going to die.  He'd accustomed himself to it over the years, and he was just thankful that Buffy hadn't taken anything Trelawney had said to heart.

"I swear, if you had a galleon for every time that woman told you that you were going to die, you'd be a millionaire by now," Ron stated.

"A galleon?" Buffy repeated.  "What's that?"

"Wizarding currency," Hermione replied.  "There's knuts, sickles and galleons.  Twenty-nine knuts to a sickle and seventeen sickles to a galleon."

"Well, that makes the kinda sense that…doesn't," Buffy said.

Harry laughed a little.  He'd thought that the Wizarding money was strange as well.  It made very little sense to him, but he wouldn't change it for anything.

"It gets easier with time," Harry assured her.

"Well, that's a relief."

"What's a relief?" asked a new voice from behind them.  The three Gryffindors all groaned simultaneously, while Buffy just smiled and turned to greet Draco.

"Hey Draco.  What's up?"

Draco moved to stand on the other side of the table, but refused to take a seat.

"You planning on coming back to the Common Room any time soon Summers?" he asked.

Buffy just shrugged and shook her head.  "Not really.  Hadn't thought about it.  Later maybe."

Draco couldn't understand this.  If he'd asked Pansy or any of the other Slytherin girls when they were coming back to the Common Room, they would have packed up their books and walked away with him.  But Buffy seemed oblivious, and for some reason, it annoyed Draco to no end.  

"Why not now?" he asked.

She looked at him curiously and then looked to the three Gryffindors. 

"Cos I'm in the middle of something.  Y'know, with the learning and the socialising.  I'll catch up with you later," she said.  She thought about it for a moment and grinned mischievously.  "Unless you wanna join us?"

The panicked expressions of Draco, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all identical and Buffy couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll see you at dinner Draco," Buffy said.

Draco just nodded and walked away, his eyes scrunched up in confusion.  Buffy looked towards Harry, Ron and Hermione who were all still looking horrified.

"What did you do that for?" Ron asked.  "What if he'd said yes?"

"One of these days, you three and him will have to sit down and talk about what exactly your problem is with each other," Buffy warned. 

"He's a slimy git with no sense of what's right," Ron replied.  "He's an evil smarmy bastard who thinks too highly of himself."

"I think you're wrong about that," Buffy said quietly. 

Hermione wisely picked up on the fact that Buffy was about to get defensive if they began talking badly about Draco.  She was quick to change the subject.

"Have you finished the reading for DADA?" Hermione asked.

Ron and Harry groaned, but Buffy just nodded.  As much as she would have liked to have defied Ethan rather than do as he'd told the class to do, she knew that she couldn't step out of line, even for Ethan Rayne.  He would delight in getting her expelled from Hogwarts, and she didn't want to give him a reason just yet.  She still had her payback planned, but it wouldn't get her into trouble.  

"It was actually pretty interesting," Buffy commented.

"Interesting?" Ron repeated.  "What's so interesting about learning about vampires that we're never going to meet?"

"What happens if you do meet one though?" Buffy asked.  "I mean, you can't just assume that you're never going to meet a vamp.  Plus it always helps to separate fact from fiction.  A lot of what people believe about vamps usually isn't right."

"Like what?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well the coffin thing for one," Buffy replied.  "What self-respecting vampire would sleep in a coffin?  A crypt, yeah, but not in an actual coffin.  Talk about too many fright-night movies."

Hermine laughed a little.  "All those different versions of Dracula are a little…hokey."

Buffy grinned and stretched languidly, one hand covering a yawn.  Her stomach growled softly and she looked at the other three.

"Dinner?"

Harry and Ron were on their feet in an instant and the four of them moved out of the library, down towards the Great Hall.

----

Much thanks for the wonderful reviews!  Although I really wasn't kidding hwne I asked for help on the sequel to A Murderer's Daughter.  I've really got no good dideas for it…am thinking of not writing it unless I can come up with a good plot line… *hint hint people*

Toodles.


	14. Jealousy

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: JEALOUSY

**Thursday, 4th February 1999**

Buffy made her way to the Slytherin table and sat herself beside Blaise, casting a glance to where Draco sat.  He was staring openly at her, and when their gazes met, he looked away.  She grinned and turned her attention to the Slytherin girls.  Pansy Parkinson was noticeably absent.

"Hey guys," Buffy greeted cheerfully.  "Where's Pansy?"

The girls all looked down to where Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were seated.  Across from the Slytherin trio was Pansy who was openly throwing herself onto Draco, flirting and waving her hands to attract as much attention to herself as possible.  Buffy grinned and shook her head.

"Could she _be_ anymore obvious?"

"She's just jealous," Blaise replied.  "You've been here for, what, six days, and you're already getting more attention from Malfoy than she's ever got in seven years."

"Well, it's a burden I just have to bear," Buffy replied dramatically.

Blaise grinned and the other girls giggled a little.  Buffy cast a subtle look down the table and grinned when she caught Draco's eyes.  He stood up, ignoring the fact that Pansy was mid-sentence, and made his ay to where Buffy sat.  He took a seat beside her.

"Summers," he greeted solemnly.

"Malfoy," she replied.  She grinned and pointed towards where Pansy was now sitting, glaring openly at Buffy and Draco.  "Looks like your groupie is a bit upset."

Draco rolled his eyes.  "Anyone know how to perform the Killing Curse?" he asked.  "Please, take a free shot at me to keep her away.  I'll even write a statement saying I gave you permission."  
  


"Save the dramatics Draco," Buffy teased.  "Besides, she can't be that bad.  Surely there's some good in her somewhere.  Deep down inside."

"Very deep down inside," Claire said with a giggle.

"Well, I think she and Crabbe will be very happy with each other," Draco added.

Buffy giggled a little and looked towards Crabbe and Goyle.  "Can you even tell them apart?"

"Course I can," Draco replied.  "Crabbe's the really dense looking one."

The group cracked up, unable to contain their laughter.  Draco smiled, not used to the feelings settling in his stomach.  He hadn't laughed or smiled this much since…well ever really.  It was a nice feeling, and the flip-flops his stomach did whenever he saw Buffy weren't too horrible either.

"Keep it down," Snape warned as he walked past the Slytherin table.  

The group quietened down considerably but still kept giggling, or laughing in a manly way in Draco's case.  

"It's a Hogsmeade weekend this week, right?" Keeta asked.

The other Slytherins all nodded enthusiastically. Buffy just looked at them in confusion.

"A what-meade weekend?" 

"Hogsmeade," Draco answered.  "The local wizarding village.  We visit there every so often.  Most people go there to stock up on sweets and practical jokes."

"Sounds cool," Buffy commented.

"It is," Claire gushed.  "You should come.  I mean, if your guardian signed the slip for you to go."

Buffy mentally sighed.  She knew she wouldn't be allowed to go, and there was no point in even asking.  

"I'll see what Professor Dumbledore says." She had no intention to even broach the topic with him however.  She didn't have a death wish.  

------------------------

**Friday, 5th February 1999**

"So, Hogsmeade?" Draco asked Buffy at dinner at Friday evening.  "Will you be joining us?"

Buffy shook her head sadly.  She hadn't even asked, nor was she planning on it.  "I'd really love to, but I've got too much work to catch up on," she explained.  

"That's such a shame," Pansy said sarcastically.  

"At least you get a day away from _her_," Blaise whispered into Buffy's ear.

Buffy grinned and laughed a little, making Pansy wonder what had just been said.  She knew it had been about her, but she couldn't imagine what had been said.  

Pansy Parkinson hated Buffy Summers with a violent passion.  She wanted to see the blonde girl humiliated or expelled.  Or a combination of both.  She wasn't sure how to do it, and she knew that the other Slytherin girls weren't going to help her at all.  She'd have to try and come up with something brilliant to bring the other girl down a notch or two.

------------------------

**Saturday, 6th February 1999**

Buffy sat in the library, poring over textbooks, surprised by how eagre she was to actually learn what she could about magic.  It was different and interesting and Buffy found herself wanting to know more.  Of course the fact that she needed good grades to stay away from the Council was also an added incentive, but she genuinely liked learning about magic.  

Her first week had gone by fairly smoothly.  Classes weren't too bad, and with the exception of Snape and Ethan Rayne, her teachers were fairly nice.  They seemed to be a little cautious of her of course, but Buffy was fairly certain it was because they knew why she was at the school.  

Buffy looked up and smiled as someone joined her at the table.

"Hey," she greeted.  "Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?"

"Didn't really feel like going," Draco replied casually.  He leaned across and looked at what she was reading.  "The Mark of Ehygon?  What's that?"

Buffy grinned mischievously.  "Dunno.  I'm gonna ask Eth… – Professor Rayne.  See if he can explain it to me," she replied.

Draco knew he was missing something, but he wasn't sure what.  He just shrugged and settled himself comfortably in the chair.

"Can you believe Professor Rayne is making us write a two foot essay on Vampire Slayers?" Draco asked.  "I mean…they're all going to be the same."

"Maybe not," Buffy replied.  "Some people may get creative with their answers.  He said that you could be a little inventive about what you write."

Ethan had set the class the task of writing an 'entry' in a Watcher's Diary.  He'd asked the class to make up a situation for a Vampire Slayer and to write down the confrontation.  It could be against any vampire or demon, but the point was to try and envision a day in the life of a Slayer.  Buffy had already written hers, based on her fight against the demon Der Kinderstod.  It had been a demon that she'd faced when her temperature had been about 104 degrees.  

"I don't suppose you've got any good suggestions?" Draco asked.

Buffy sat back in her seat and thought for a moment.  "Well, you could just research a demon and then make up a scenario based on that.  That's pretty much what I did.  Just make it an interesting demon, one that requires more than a stake through the heart or decapitation."

"Have you finished yours yet?" Draco asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Yeah.  I finished it last night."

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.  It was due on Monday morning, and he only had the rest of the afternoon and all of the next day to write it.  

"You could always write a Slayer's final battle," Buffy suggested.  "The one that she doesn't come back from.  But maybe that would be a little too hard to write.  Cos you'd hafta find a demon worthy of killing a Slayer."

Buffy shuddered involuntarily as she remembered her own death at the Master's hands.  She'd had an irrational fear of water for several months after that fateful day.  It had taken her a long time to even be able to get into a bathtub or a swimming pool.  But, as always, she'd faced her fear head on and conquered it.  Of course, crushing the Master's bones with a sledgehammer had done wonders for her as well.

"What sort of a demon would be able to kill a Slayer though?" Draco asked.

"Well, even Slayer's have bad days I suppose," Buffy admitted.  She could remember several times when she'd almost been killed by vampires who had more luck than others.  If it wasn't for her friends, she would have been dead several times over.  "But, I guess if you wanted, you could write about a Master Vampire killing a Slayer."

"Master Vampires?" Draco repeated.  "What are they?"

"Older, faster and tougher," Buffy explained.  "They're the ones you don't want to be anywhere near.  They're usually pretty damn smart as well."

Draco reached forward and grabbed the book in front of Buffy, flicking through the chapter on vampires.  He knew he'd have to begin writing soon, but he just hadn't found any good ideas.  He skim-read through the chapter and found only one name that sounded somewhat interesting.

"I think I found one," Draco said.  He put the book on the desk and slid it across to Buffy who leant forward, their shoulders touching as they hunched over the desk together.  Buffy looked to where Draco's finger was pointing and paled.  Angelus of Aurelius, Scourge of Europe.

"That's a Master Vampire alright," Buffy whispered.

Draco looked at her strangely, but was too excited by the prospect of actually having an interesting topic.  He could only hope that Hermione knot-it-all Granger hadn't come up with something similar.  

"You're gonna use him as you're big bad?" Buffy asked.

"My what?" Draco asked.

Buffy grinned and laughed a little.  "You're big bad.  You're villain of the piece."

"Oh.  Yes.  He sounds interesting."

Buffy nodded and chose not to comment on the topic.  She just sighed and wondered how well Draco would be able to capture the true evil of Angelus on paper.  


	15. Revenge

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: REVENGE

**Monday, 8th February 1999**

Monday came around again, and Buffy was injected with the dreaded compound.  She'd felt her strength returning to her over the weekend, and had revelled in doing longer training sessions with her energy levels heightened.  It was a shirt-lived feeling however, and she was back to being sluggish and tired.

She forced herself to go to breakfast, finding that it was better for her to eat in the mornings if she wanted to keep her energy up.  She sat tiredly next to Blaise who offered her a piece of toast and a smile.  Buffy smiled back and ate slowly.

"Did you get that essay for DADA done?" Blaise asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Yup.  You?"

"Yeah.  It's probably not very good though," she replied.

"What's it on?"

"Oh, I researched something called the Judge.  It had this whole no-weapons-forged deal about it," Blaise replied.

Buffy couldn't help the grin that came to her face at the memory of how she and the Scoobies had destroyed the Judge.  The Rocket Launcher idea of Xander's had worked like a charm.  It had been fun as well.  Of course, the other memories surrounding that particular demon weren't all that fun.  That had been the first demon she had battled with Angel working against her rather than at her side.

"So, if she couldn't use weapons, how did she kill it?" Buffy asked curiously, wondering if Blaise had come up with any other ideas.

Blaise shrugged.  "That was the thing," Blaise admitted.  "I couldn't think of any way creative enough for the Slayer to kill it.  So, she ended up being killed by it.  It just touched her and-"

"Burned the humanity out of her," Buffy finished quietly, not noticing that she had spoken aloud.

Blaise looked at her new friend with raised eyebrows.  "Yeah.  How did you know?"

Buffy's head snapped to attention and she shrugged a little.  "Oh, I came across it when I was researching for the assignment."

"Came across what?" asked a new voice that made Buffy's heart beat just a little bit faster.  

Draco dropped into the seat beside Buffy and stole the last of Buffy's toast from her plate.  She swatted him half-heartedly, knowing that he only took her food to antagonise her, rather than because he was actually hungry.

"A demon called the Judge," Blaise answered.

"For the DADA assignment?"

The girls nodded.  "What demon did you write about?" Blaise asked.

"I ended up writing about a Master Vampire," Draco replied.

"Angelus?" Buffy asked.

Draco nodded.  "He was definitely a mean son of a bitch.  Apparently there was this thing where he nailed a puppy to a girls door as a Valentine's Day gift."

Buffy shuddered.  She hadn't liked hearing about that part of Angel's past.  

"So, did your Slayer die, or did she kill Angelus?" Blaise asked.

Draco smirked.  "What do you think Zabini?"

Blaise hesitated for a moment before chuckling slightly.

"She died a horrible bloody death.  What's the bet she ended up being turned and her Watcher then had to kill her," Blaise surmised.

"Slayer's can't be turned," Buffy interjected.  "There's this whole thing where they're protected by the Powers That Be."

Blaise and Draco looked at her, wondering how someone who'd only been studying Slayers and Vampires for a week could know so much about it.  Buffy noticed their incredulous stares and shrugged sheepishly.  "I read about it."

They both seemed to accept the vague answer and concentrated on eating breakfast.

------------------------

Ethan collected the essays, smirking at Buffy as she handed her paper in confidently.  She'd been sure to choose a demon that Ethan couldn't say she needed proof of.  She'd researched the demon even though she could remember the details of it vividly.  She wasn't about to let Ethan fail her based on a loophole.  

He led the class into an open discussion on anything that they had researched and wanted to know more about.  After several questions from Hermione, wanting to know more about certain demons, Buffy raised her hand.

"Miss Summers?"

Buffy forced herself not to smirk and managed to keep a straight face as she asked her question. 

"I came across a certain demon when I was researching for the paper.  I thought you might know a little bit about it," she began.  She saw Ethan pale as he caught on to what she was talking about.  "Do you know anything about a demon called Eyghon?"

He glared at her momentarily before regaining his composure.  

"I'm not sure I've heard about that particular demon," Ethan said, lying through his teeth.

"Oh…if it helps, it's one that needs to be summoned.  The mark of the demon is tattooed onto members of a circle of people who want to invoke the spirit of the demon into themselves.  Wouldn't something like that be really dangerous?" she asked innocently.

Ethan had to give her credit for the idea.  He'd made her uncomfortable the week before, and she'd turned the tables on him quite well.  He knew for certain that she was definitely a protégé of Ripper's.  

"I'm sure it would be dangerous," he agreed.  

"Not something that people should be messing with then," Buffy said.

Blaise, who was next to Buffy, looked curiously at her friend.  There was something deeper than Buffy's curiousity at play, and she wanted to know what it was.  

"No," Ethan replied.

Buffy grinned smugly and let Ethan move on from the topic.  She could tell that he was a little shaken from her question.  It was obviously something that he hadn't mentioned to Dumbledore before getting the job as the DADA Professor at Hogwarts.  

Class continued and eventually they were let out.  Ethan grabbed Buffy's arm before she could walk out the door.  He made sure the other students were out of the classroom before pushing her against the wall.  Unknown to Ethan, though, Draco and Blaise waited outside the door, waiting for her, listening to their conversation.

"What do you think you're playing at?" he demanded angrily.

Buffy just smirked and pushed him away from her.  

"The same thing you tried to do to me.  Payback's a bitch isn't it?" she replied.

"I don't know about payback being one, but you certainly are."

She smiled innocently and began walking out of the room.

"You know, I think I finally get why you're in Slytherin.  You really are an evil and manipulative little witch, aren't you?" 

Buffy stopped and turned to look at him, glaring so hard that most vampires would have scampered away in fright.  

"I am not evil," she said calmly, her voice steady and calm.

Ethan just raised his eyebrows.

"I don't have to remind you of why you're really here, do I?" Ethan asked, finally feeling as though he'd gained the upper hand over her.  He could see that she was uncomfortable with being reminded of why she was Hogwarts.  

"No Ethan, you really don't," Buffy replied coldly.

"I'm not the one going around killing people randomly," Ethan reminded her.

"Does the name Randall Montgomery mean anything to you?" Buffy asked.

Ethan pulled back.  He'd forgotten that Giles would have told her about his exploits as Ripper.  

"That's right, Ethan.  I know all about what happened with him.  You can act as high and mighty as you want, but don't you dare get all hypocritical on me," Buffy said angrily.  "Besides which, I'm not guilty and you know it.  I couldn't even kill you even though I _really _wanted to."

Ethan stepped back and regarded her intensely.  A smile broke out onto his face, a smile that made Buffy highly uncomfortable.  

"You really do have a little Ripper in you, don't you," Ethan said.  "But, I guess that does make sense.  I wasn't the only one involved in that little foray into the dark arts.  You precious Giles is as much to blame as I was."  
  


"At least he felt guilty about it," Buffy retorted.  "You don't give a crap about anyone except yourself."

Ethan scowled.  "That's right," he replied bitterly.  "I don't care.  In fact, I care so little that I could have you expelled so fast that you'd be shipped off to the Council."

Buffy wanted nothing more than to smack the smirking grin off Ethan's face, but she didn't dare strike a teacher, especially one that was already threatening expulsion.

"You're an asshole Ethan," Buffy said quietly.

Ethan just grinned.  "That's _Professor_ arsehole to you.  And believe me, Summers, I'll get my own payback."  
  


He watched her storm out of the classroom.  He wanted desperately to pay her back for making him uneasy.  And he had the perfect way to do it as well.  All he had to do was find the perfect instrument for his revenge. 

He turned away, completely concentrating on a plan for his payback, too preoccupied to notice Pansy Parkinson sneak out the back exit, her own plans for revenge in the making.  
  


------------------------

Buffy walked out of the classroom and very nearly missed Draco and Blaise standing in the hallway.  She could only pray that they'd missed half of the conversation.  She was just grateful that Ethan hadn't mentioned anything about her being the Slayer during the conversation.  Whilst they'd been angry with each other, nothing had been said that would give her identity away.

"What was that about?" Blaise asked.

Buffy shook her head.  "It was nothing," she replied vaguely.

Draco and Blaise exchanged glances.  "That wasn't nothing Summers," Draco said.

They followed her as she walked quickly towards eth Great Hall, wanting nothing more than to sit down and forget that Ethan Rayne was still plaguing her life.

"Please, just drop it," Buffy said quietly.

Blaise sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get any information out of Buffy if she continued to push her for it.  Draco, however, wasn't quite to observant or knowledgeable when it came to dealing with girls.  

"Buffy, tell us what's going on," Draco demanded.

Buffy stopped and turned to him, anger on her face, fire blazing brightly in her normally gentle hazel eyes.

"I said drop it," she snapped.

She stalked off angrily before Draco could work out what had gone wrong.  He snapped out of his stupor and went to chase after her.  Blaise caught hold of his wrist and shook her head.  

"Just drop it Malfoy," Blaise said gently.  "She'll talk when she wants to."

Draco looked back to Buffy who had managed to walk away from them extremely quickly.

"What do _you _think is going on between Summers and the Professor?" Draco asked.

Blaise shrugged her shoulders.  "Not sure."  
  


"You don't think…" he trailed off and made a vague hand gesture.

"Oh, ew!" Blaise exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.  "Malfoy, you're disgusting."

"It's possible," Draco defended his idea.  "But not probable.  Why would Summers go for someone like Professor Rayne?  There's some sort of history there, and I for one would love to know what it was."

-----

Much thanks to everyone for emailing and reviewing!

Toodles.


	16. Predictions

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: PREDICTIONS

**Tuesday, 9th February 1999**

Buffy had managed to successfully avoid a confrontation with Blaise and Draco for the remainder of the day.  She sat with them at dinner, but they had wisely not brought up the topic of her argument with Ethan.  They'd discussed normal everyday topics, and Buffy was grateful for it.  She wouldn't admit it, but she was slightly worried about the type of payback that Ethan had in mind for her.

She knew that he wouldn't reveal her reason for being at Hogwarts, she knew that Dumbledore didn't want the students knowing about her.  They would be too uneasy around her, and whilst Dumbledore felt that Buffy wasn't to be trusted, he didn't want pandemonium in his school.

Buffy just knew she'd have to be prepared for Ethan to pay her back for using Eyghon against him.  

The rest of the day had progressed without incident.  Snape had tried humiliating her again, but she'd luckily done the readings assigned for the lesson and had answered his questions perfectly.  He'd given up on trying to disgrace her, and had moved on with the lesson.

The next day was when things took a turn for the worse.

The Slytherins sat in the Divinations tower, Professor Trelawny teaching them about the art of palmistry.  Every single student was looking at their partners palm intently, trying to read what their futures held for them.  Trelawney hovered behind them, correcting readings that were usually fairly gloomy.  She stepped behind Blaise who was reading Buffy's palm.

Trelawney gasped dramatically and Buffy rolled her eyes.  After one lesson with this woman, she was already sick of her predictions of death.  Buffy felt her hand get snatched violently out of Blaise's grip and into Trelawney's.  The Professor studied her palm intently, a stricken look on her face.

The Slytherin's looked on in fascination.  They'd heard stories from the Gryffindors about how dramatic she was towards Harry, but they'd never seen Trelawney in action until now.

"You, Miss Summers, do not have long to live," Trelawney announced.

Buffy rolled her eyes.  She already knew that.  

"Your future is surrounded by death and darkness, with-"

"Vultures circling ever nearer," Buffy finished.  "Yeah, I got the point last week."

The Slytherins snickered, feeling slightly less worried than they had been.  Draco felt worried though.  This was the second time that Trelawney had predicted Buffy's death.

"You should not be so flippant about your death my dear," Trelawney scolded the girl.  

Buffy rolled her eyes.  "No offence Professor, but I'm not too worried about dying young.  When you gotta go, you gotta go."

She tried to yank her hand away from the Professor, but without her normal strength, and a bit of her normal human strength gone as well, she had no chance against Trelawney's tight grip on her hand. 

"Your life is surrounded by violence, fighting, pain."

Buffy was suddenly wondering whether this woman was the real deal or not.  There was no way that Trelawney knew about Buffy being the Slayer.  But to hear about her death being predicted, surrounded by violence and fighting was a little too coincidental.  The predictions didn't scare her, but she could tell from one glance around the room that the other students seemed to be worried for her.  That was all she needed.

"I'm sure it won't be that horrible," Buffy said, trying to be confident.

She managed to wrestle her hand away from Trelawney and sat on it so that the Professor wouldn't have any other ideas about reading her palm.

------------------------

Unfortunately for the weakened Slayer, she was unable to escape from Trelawney so easily.  She was asked to stay behind, and Buffy was not in the mood to be reprimanded by the large insect-like woman.  She complied and stayed seated at her desk.  She told Blaise and Draco to wait for her in the Great Hall rather than outside the classroom.

Trelawney prepared a cup of tea with tealeaves for the Slayer who obediently drank the tea when she was asked to.  Trelawney reached for the cup with the tealeaves at the bottom, studying it closely.

"Is there a point to this?" Buffy asked impatiently.  

Trelawney looked at her and Buffy wisely stopped talking.  Trelawney turned her attention back to the tealeaves. 

"Hmmm…"

"Hmmm?" Buffy repeated.

"The falcon…the club…the skull," Trelawney said, looking into the leaves.

Trelawney hadn't had a student this interesting since Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts and the first year of Divination.  It was strange, Buffy's tea leaves read in exactly the same manner's as Harry's had the first Divinations lesson.

"Meaning?" 

"You have many enemies," Trelawney replied.

Buffy nodded.  That was nothing new.  

"An attack is coming," the Professor continued.  "And you walk a dangerous path."

"I could have told you that," Buffy muttered.  The Professor thankfully hadn't heard, too intent on studying the leaves.

Before Buffy knew what was going on, Professor Trelawney turned to look at her sharply, her voice severely different, and her power changed in away that Buffy could feel it in the air.

"_She is coming_," Trelawney said, her voice loud and harsh, her eyes unfocussed.  

Buffy looked at the Professor, wondering what she was talking about.  "What?  Who?"

"_An old enemy will return to exact vengeance.  You must be prepared.  You have 33 days._" 

The Professor's head fell forwards onto her chest.  Buffy went to move towards her, her heart pounding frantically in her chest.  Before she could reach the woman, Professor Trelawney's head snapped up again.

"I'm so sorry, dear girl," she said tiredly.  "I drifted off for a moment."

Buffy swallowed hard and tried not to panic.  She was now thoroughly convinced that the Professor had just had a real vision.  She stood and let herself out of the room, wondering what the vision had meant.

An old enemy…that could have been just about anyone.  At least it was narrowed down to a she.  And whatever was to happen would happen in thirty-three days.  She made a mental note to keep her eye on the calendar.  

----

Much thanks for the emails and reviews!  You guys are awesome!!

Toodles.


	17. Tattoo

(Please bear in mind that I hadn't read OotP when I wrote this, so in my world, the boys can go into the girls rooms…)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: TATTOO

**Friday, 12th February 1999**

Draco, Blaise and the other Slytherins sat in the common room, waiting for their newest housemate to come down so they could have their monthly house meeting that was always held on the first Friday of every month.

"Are you sure she knows about the meeting?" Claire McNair asked.

Blaise and Draco, the two people who knew her best, exchanged glances and sighed.

"Probably not," Blaise said.  "I'll go get her."

Draco stood up as well.  "_We'll _go get her."

Blaise nodded and she and Draco wandered back towards the girls rooms.  Blaise knocked loudly on the door.

"Yeah?" came the small voice behind the door.

"Hey, it's Blaise," she called out.  "Can Malfoy and I come in?"

"Yeah sure," Buffy called back.

Blaise and Draco entered the room, both of them looking around in interest.  They'd never seen a single room before, and they were surprised by how clean Buffy kept her living space.  Draco wandered over to the training area that Buffy was currently in.

She was in a tank top and sweat pants, halfway through a training session.  Her hair was swept up into a loose bun, completely off her back.

"What's up?" Buffy asked, stretching out her muscles.  

"There's a uh…a meeting," Draco said, unable to keep his eyes off the blonde girl as she stretched.  Blaise rolled her eyes, trying not to snort with laughter at the obvious attraction Draco felt towards Buffy.  "In the Common Room."

"Oh.  Cool," Buffy replied.  "Right now?"

Draco nodded.  Buffy sighed and turned away.  Draco squinted as he saw something black in the middle of her shoulders.  He moved forward, hoping it wasn't some kind of insect.  He touched her shoulders, and Buffy gasped at the touch, turning quickly.

"Is that a tattoo?" Draco asked.

Buffy reached up to her shoulders, annoyed at herself for not keeping the tattoo covered.  She nodded.

"Yeah."

Blaise moved towards them and studied the tattoo.  She raised her eyebrows, wondering if her new friend could possibly be any more mysterious.

"Does it mean anything?" Blaise asked.

"It looks familiar," Draco added.

Buffy sighed and walked towards her bed, pulling a long-sleeved shirt and a jacket over her tank-top.  She ducked behind the curtain of her four-poster bed and changed into a pair of jeans before emerging to answer the question.

"It does mean something, but…I'd really rather not say what," she explained.

Draco narrowed his eyes.  He didn't like being out of the loop on things.  He knew he'd seen the design before, but he just couldn't remember where he would have seen it.  He wondered if it was some sort of a muggle symbol for something.  Then again, if it was a muggle symbol, he wouldn't have recognised it.  

He made a mental note to try and remember where he'd seen the icon.

"So…are we going?" Buffy asked.

Blaise and Draco nodded, walking back towards the Common Room for a meeting that had no real relevance to anything.  It was just a monthly update of any changes that were made within the school.  Mostly it was just a reminder for students that they were being monitored at all times.

Snape had kept his eyes on Buffy for most of the time that he had been reprimanding students for their behaviour.  Buffy hadn't flinched and had met his gaze every single time.  She wasn't about to be called a coward by a Professor.  He was no different from Snyder.

When the meeting had ended, the Seventh Years gathered around the fire, discussing their plans for the rest of the week, talking about their assignments and other more exciting things like Quidditch practise and the next Slytherin match which wasn't for another month.

"So, explain this whole House Cup thing to me," Buffy said, looking at the other Seventh Years.

"The houses all compete for a Cup," Pansy said sarcastically.  "It's really not that complex."

Buffy rolled her eyes, and promised to herself that if she ever saw Cordelia again, she would apologise for thinking that Cordelia had been the biggest bitch on the planet.  She'd been proven wrong.  

"Well, whilst Pansy was being bitchy about it," Blaise said with a smirk,  "she's not entirely wrong.  The four houses compete for points, and at the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the cup.  It's this huge deal mostly.  Unfortunately, Slytherin hasn't won in years."

"Who usually wins it?" Buffy asked curiously.

The Seventh Years all groaned simultaneously.  "Gryffindor," Draco, Blaise, Claire and Keeta all complained in unison.

"All because of Saint Potter and his friends," Draco complained.  "Dumbledore favours them above everyone else."

"It's bloody annoying," Blaise agreed.

"So, what d'you gotta do to get points?" Buffy asked.

"Answer questions right, win Quidditch, be generally helpful," came the mixed answers of the group.  

"It's kinda funny watching Snape take points of the Gryff's during Potions though," Claire added with a giggle.

The other Slytherins all laughed and nodded.  

"Careful what you say in front of the muggle-lover," Pansy said snidely, pointing to Buffy.  "She might take offence and start…killing people randomly."

Buffy froze.  Those were the exact words that Ethan had said to her after the DADA lesson on Monday.  She forced herself to laugh as the others began laughing as well, thinking it was a joke.  Buffy kept her eyes on Pansy, trying to read the other girl.

Buffy could tell that Pansy was going to try destroying Buffy's reputation, not by using untrue rumours, but by using any piece of truth that she could pick up from the Professors.  Ethan's diatribe the other day had given Pansy the perfect ammunition, and Buffy could only hope that Pansy didn't piece together the entire Buffy-puzzle.

Blaise and Draco didn't seem to notice Pansy's choice of words, and Buffy was thankful for it.  She knew that her two friends would begin asking her more questions, especially after what they'd heard Ethan saying.  It would only be a matter of time before the truth actually came out, and Buffy was not looking forward to that day.

----

Sneak preview of chapter eighteen: 

The two teens unconsciously licked their lips simultaneously, hesitantly moving closer to each other.  Draco wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he knew what he wanted with a desperate ache.  Buffy closed her eyes as…

I'm a tease and I know…*clap clap* Thanks for your reviews and emails!!

Toodles.


	18. Conversations

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: CONVERSATIONS

**Friday, 12th February 1999**

One by one the other students left the common room, leaving Buffy and Draco alone in front of the fire.  Buffy had curled up, huddling under her cloak, using the armrest of the green leather couch as a pillow.  Draco sat at the other end of the couch, his arms spread across the back, his feet resting on the coffee table in front of them.  

"Can I ask you something?" Draco asked.  

"Yeah sure."

"Well, it's just…you know all about my family, but…you've never spoken about yours."

Buffy sighed.  She knew that Draco and Blaise were interested in who she was, but she couldn't answer in the way that she wanted to.  She hated keeping secrets from them, but there was no real way around it.

"What do you want to know?" 

"Well…are they alive?" Draco asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Yeah.  I live…uh, lived with my mom.  She and dad got divorced about three years ago."

"Any siblings?" 

"Just me.  What about you?  Brothers, sisters?"

Draco shook his head.

"I had a brother when I was younger, but…he was killed."

Buffy couldn't help herself.  Draco looked sad and vulnerable, something she'd never really seen on him in the three weeks that she'd been at Hogwarts.  She leant across and placed her hand on top of his, gently squeezing his fingers.

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago," he said defensively, pulling his hand away, uncomfortable with the emotions that she conjured within him.  "I barely even remember him."

They sat in silence, Draco suddenly feeling guilty for snapping at her and pulling away.  He'd never felt guilt for being mean to any other student before.  It was his trademark to be mean and nasty, but suddenly he hated that he'd treated Buffy badly.

Draco looked across at her and noticed that she was fiddling with the ever-present necklace, a silver cross dangling from a thin chain.  He'd often wondered about why she wore it.

"What's with the necklace?" he asked.  

Buffy looked down, unaware that she'd even been touching the first gift Angel had ever given her.

"Oh, uh…it was a gift," Buffy explained.

"Who from?"

"A boyfriend," Buffy replied.  "Or, ex-boyfriend actually."

Draco felt something unfamiliar rising in his stomach.  Jealousy, sadness that she'd been with someone that she was obviously still attached to, if the necklace was any indication.

"You two were serious?"

Buffy nodded and let go of her necklace, her arms encircling her knees that she drew into her chest.

"About as serious as two people could get," she replied.  "But we couldn't be together.  Too many problems."

"Such as you coming to Hogwarts?" Draco asked.

"That was one of the many other reasons," Buffy said.  "But…it wasn't a bad breakup.  We're still friends.  Or sort of.  We don't hate each other or anything, so that's okay."

"You miss him?" 

Buffy nodded.  "Well, not just him.  All of them.  My mom…my friends.  Will, Xand, Giles."

Again Draco felt slightly uncomfortable.  He hated knowing that the blonde girl was saddened by being at Hogwarts.  He knew that there was more to Buffy being at Hogwarts than she'd let on.  There was no way that Buffy was only at the school because she had nothing better to do.  It didn't seem plausible, but Draco didn't know what to believe.

"Don't get me wrong," Buffy continued, seeing the slightly hurt look on Draco's face, "I'm getting used to being here.  You and Blaise have made it so much easier, but…I still miss my friends."

"But you've kept in contact with them, haven't you?" he asked.

"Sorta.  But it's not the same as talking to them everyday, y'know." 

Draco didn't have any real comprehension of how badly Buffy missed her friends, not only because he didn't understand the circumstances of her departure, but because he'd never had any _real_ friends.  The two people who were supposedly closest to him had no idea of who he really was, and Draco couldn't imagine ever confiding in Crabbe and Goyle the way that he confided in Buffy.

"Summers?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"Mmm?"

"Are we friends?" His voice was quiet, unsure of himself.  Gone was the cocky and confident boy that Buffy had come to know over the last three weeks, and in his place was someone who wanted nothing more than to be liked.

She nodded and smiled softly at him.  "Yeah, of course we are.  You're a good friend.  I really like hanging out with you."

He couldn't help but smile back at her.

"I've never really had close friends before.  Not even Crabbe and Goyle."

"I kinda noticed that," Buffy replied.  "Why didn't you ever get close to anyone?"

Draco could hear his father's voice in the back of his mind.  _Emotions makes you weak_.  

"I was always taught that friendship and emotions aren't what give someone strength," Draco explained.

Buffy scoffed and shook her head.

"Well, whoever taught you that obviously had never tried to use their emotions as an asset," Buffy replied.  

She could remember the first time she met Kendra who had insisted that having emotional attachments would hinder Buffy's position as the Slayer.  She'd told Kendra otherwise, and she knew that Draco needed to know what she had told Kendra.

"Emotions are what give you an edge.  You strike me as the kinda guy who was taught that power is what will get you what you need.  It's not enough though.  It's never enough.  You can have serious amounts of power, but be unable to use it.  But it's your emotions, your feelings that end up pushing you to limits you didn't know you had.  They give you fire and passion and a reason to keep fighting," Buffy explained.

Draco's eyes shifted from Buffy's down to her mouth and back up again.  His heart was beating rapidly, and the talk of fire and passion wasn't helping him.  He shifted closer to her, and Buffy didn't move away from him.  The Slayer saw what he was doing and felt her own heartbeat begin racing.  She wanted to kiss him, and knew that he wanted to kiss her as well.  

"Fire and passion huh?" Draco repeated, his voice no more than a whisper.

The two teens unconsciously licked their lips simultaneously, hesitantly moving closer to each other.  Draco wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he knew what he wanted with a desperate ache.  Buffy closed her eyes as their lips met in a slow and tentative kiss.  Buffy's hand came to rest on Draco's chest, marvelling in his warmth and his rapid heartbeat.

He was so different than Angel.  Warm and soft, considerably smaller, though still taller than Buffy.  Even with the bad boy persona, there was an innocence to him that Angel hadn't had.  Draco's eyes didn't have hundreds of years behind them.  His silver eyes held a mischievous sparkle that Buffy had come to know and love.

The kiss deepened, Draco pulling Buffy closer so that she was now half-seated in his lap, his arms around her waist.  Buffy brought her fee hand up to touch his face, then moved it to tangle in the softness of his hair.  She'd always wondered what type of texture his hair would have, and now she knew.  She'd been expecting copious amounts of gel, but it was merely soft and smooth.

Draco manoeuvred his hands so that they were inside Buffy's cloak, holding her tightly against him.  He'd never felt anything like this before in his life, and he knew that he wasn't going to give up the exquisite feelings anytime soon, no matter what his father said.

They broke the kiss, Buffy resting her forehead against Draco's as they panted for breath.  They were both shaking slightly with the intensity of it.  The Slayer cuddled closer to him and buried her head into his shoulder, dropping a gentle kiss in the crook of his neck.

Draco turned so that his face was resting in Buffy's hair, breathing in the scent of strawberries.  He closed his eyes, feeling completely and utterly content for the first time in his life.  

"Buffy?" he whispered quietly.

She pulled back and looked at him, noting the serious expression on his face.  "Yeah?"

"Are you…are we…" 

She nodded and kissed him gently.  "If you want."

Draco smiled widely and Buffy felt her heart skip a few beats at seeing him smile.  It was a rarity, and she made a mental note to make him smile far more often.

"I want," he replied, kissing her again.  The kiss escalated, neither of them caring that anyone could walk in on them at any second.  

Buffy forgot everything that had happened in the last few weeks, forgot why she was at Hogwarts, forgot that she was the Slayer and forgot that she was there because of something she hadn't done.  All that existed in that moment was she and Draco, and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

----

Y'know, I wasn't gonna update, but then I thought…that's just damn well mean. Like SOME authors out there who don't seem to update very regularly…rah at them!  Anyways, much thanks for yoru feedback.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF CHAPTER NINETEEN:

"You're not just at Hogwarts because you had nothing better to do are you?" Draco asked.

…

He weighed his options, thinking over every possible reaction he could choose to have because of Buffy's confession.  He breathed in deeply and made his choice.

Toodles.

K


	19. Revelations

CHAPTER NINETEEN: REVELATIONS

**Saturday, 13th February 1999**

Buffy sat down beside Blaise for breakfast, a grin on her face.  Blaise looked at her friend curiously.

"What's got you so happy today Summers?" Blaise asked.

Buffy just grinned even wider and reached for her water goblet, taking a small sip.  

"I'm not allowed to be happy?" the Slayer asked.

Blaise laughed a little, and the other Slytherin girls could only wonder why the small blonde girl that they had all become friends with was so happy.  Pansy, on the other hand, wasn't looking too impressed.  She hated Buffy Summers, and seeing her so happy was entirely unnerving.

"It's just so weird to see you grinning like an idiot," Blaise replied.

Two arms enveloped Buffy from behind, and she felt someone drop a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

"Well, she's my idiot, so she can grin like that all she wants," Draco said, moving to sit beside Buffy, one arm still around her waist.

Blaise broke out into a full-fledged smile and gave Buffy a quick hug.  She'd been waiting for Buffy and Draco to get together for weeks, and seeing them as a couple was extremely gratifying.

"You two finally worked out that you're completely perfect for each other huh," Blaise commented.  "Good for you."

Pansy snorted in jealousy and disgust, seething at the knowledge of Buffy and Draco's new relationship.  She stood up angrily and looked down her nose at the new couple.

"You know Malfoy, you used to have _class_.  If your father could see you now, he'd be so ashamed of you.  Dating a muggle.  A yankee muggle at that.  Lucius Malfoy would never have stopped so low," Pansy said.

The hall suddenly went quiet as they realised that Draco Malfoy had just been insulted.  All eyes were on the Slytherin table, waiting for an explosion of some sort.

Draco's first instinct was to stand up, reach across the table and smack the sneer from Pansy's face.  Obviously, Buffy could tell that he was thinking of doing some serious violence to the girl, and she put a calming hand on his leg.  He slowly counted to five before bothering to reply.

"Just for the record, my father was an idiot who never cared for anyone but himself.  I can see why the two of you always got along so well, because you are exactly like him.  As for me, I don't give a rat's arse about what my father would think about whom I choose to date.  So you can just sod off Parkinson."

Draco's voice carried throughout the Great Hall, a silence descending after he had ceased talking.  He was suddenly very much aware that he had the attention of the entire hall, something that once would have been something he craved, but now he didn't particularly want everyone hearing him denounce his family like that.

Most of the people in the school didn't actually know what had happened to the Malfoy family, only that Lucius Malfoy had been sent to Azkaban prison.  They didn't know that it had been Malfoy Sr. who had been trying to become the new Dark Lord in Voldemort's place.  Only very few select Slytherins, including Blaise, Pansy and Buffy knew.  Not even Crabbe and Goyle knew the real reason for Draco's father's imprisonment.

Pansy kept her gaze on Draco for a few more moments before turning to look at Buffy.

"You'll regret this Summers," Pansy said darkly.  "You'll regret this so badly when I'm done with you, you little murderer."

Buffy froze once again.  The entire school turned their focus to her, and she forced herself to stay calm.  Giles had always taught her to keep her breathing even when she was in a battle that she wasn't comfortable with, and this was no different.  

"I have nothing to regret," Buffy stated firmly.

Pansy just smirked and cocked her head to the side arrogantly.  "We'll see about that."

She turned on her heel and stalked out of the Great Hall.  The silence lasted for another five seconds before half the hall burst into applause and the other half began a heated discussion of what had just happened.  No one really understood what had jut happened, just that it was the most interesting piece of gossip about Draco since they'd heard that Lucius Malfoy had been imprisoned.

Buffy turned to look at Draco, a smile in her eyes.  "Well, that went well."

------------------------

The new Slytherin couple walked across the grounds, silence between them.  They were headed towards the lake so that they could talk in privacy.  Buffy knew that Draco had a lot of questions to ask her, and she was trying to think of how to answer them as truthfully as possible without telling him the entire story.  

They sat side by side on the bank of the lake, water lapping near their feet.  Buffy watched Draco from the corner of her eye.  She saw that he looked a little uncertain about something, and she was fairly sure she knew what was wrong.  She scooted closer to him and leant her head on his shoulder.  Draco sighed happily and pulled her closer.

"You can ask you know," Buffy whispered quietly.

"You're not just at Hogwarts because you had nothing better to do are you?" Draco asked.

Buffy shook her head and took hold of one of Draco's hands, revelling in his warmth.  She studied his fingers and ran her thumb across his palm gently.

"No."

Draco swallowed nervously.  He didn't understand who the girl beside him was, but he wanted to know.  He'd never felt so strongly for anyone or anything before in his life, and he didn't want anything to ruin the feelings of contentment running through him.

"So why are you here?"

Buffy sighed and pulled away from Draco, shifting her position so that they were seated opposite each other, their hands still entwined.

"You were listening that day I got in an argument with Professor Rayne, weren't you?" Buffy asked.

Draco nodded.  "Yeah."

"Then you heard what I'd been accused of."

"Killing someone," Draco replied softly.  "Several someones by the sounds of it."

"Just one," Buffy replied.  "That's why I'm here."

Draco felt his entire world begin to spin.  He couldn't understand how someone as sweet and innocent as Buffy Summers could have been accused of murder.  It just didn't fit in with anything he'd learnt about her in the last three weeks.  It made no sense to him at all.

"But…you didn't do it, right?"

"I really can't talk about this Draco," Buffy said quietly, tears in her eyes.  She wanted nothing more than to tell him the truth, but she'd been strictly forbidden to talk to anyone regarding what had happened.  And as much as she knew that Draco would believe her if she told him the truth of what had happened that day, she knew that he would go to Professor Dumbledore and tell the Headmaster that Buffy was innocent.  She would be kicked out of Hogwarts, and she'd never see the Scoobies or any of her new Hogwarts friends ever again.

Draco stared at her thoughtfully.  He could see that she was close to tears, could feel her hands shaking even as he held them in his own.  He knew there was more to it than she was letting on.  He weighed his options, thinking over every possible reaction he could choose to have because of Buffy's confession.  He breathed in deeply and made his choice.

He leant forward and gently pressed his lips to Buffy's capturing her mouth in a sweet kiss that told Buffy everything she needed to know.  When they pulled back, Buffy looked at the Slytherin boy with astonished eyes.

"You still want to be with be?" she asked.

Draco nodded and brought Buffy's hand to his lips.

"I don't care about what happened in the past.  These last three weeks, you've pushed past every single one of my barriers, pushed me to be someone I didn't know I could be.  No one else has ever believed in me," he admitted softly.  "They see me as my father's son, but you…you heard what happened to my father and instead of turning away, you asked me for _my_ story instead of his.  In the three weeks I've known you, you've shown me what friendship really is."

Buffy smiled, feeling extremely heartened to hear his soft words.  She hadn't known she'd had such an effect on him, and hearing him admit it made her feel warm inside.  

"When I look at you, I don't see a murderer," Draco said.  Buffy flinched, but Draco refused to let go of her hands even as she tried to pull away from him.  "I see you Buffy.  I see who you are, what you're really like.  You're not evil, and you're not a murderer, and even if you _did_ kill someone, it doesn't change anything with us."

Draco brought his hand up and gently touched his thumb to the solitary tear that had fallen.  He put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her head so that she was looking at him.  He kissed her gently and trailed a finger down the side of her face.

"You're a good person Buffy," he whispered, his lips still touching hers lightly.  "And nothing anyone says will ever make me think differently."

Buffy couldn't hold it in any longer and broke down sobbing.  Draco pulled her closer to him, manoeuvring her so that her back was to his chest.  He cuddled her closer, stroking her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ear, trying to get her to calm down before she made herself sick.

The Slayer couldn't help the tears that continued flowing.  In the three weeks that she'd been at Hogwarts, she'd never been able to really just break down and cry with someone holding her for comfort.  Being in someone's arms, being held, being loved was what she'd been missing more than anything, and now she found all three things in Draco Malfoy's arms.  

After seemingly endless minutes, she quietened down but stayed in Draco's lap, his arms around her tiny waist, the two of them staring at the lake in blissful quiet.

--------

Awww…B/Dr mush.  So cute.  Hey, can someone clear something up for me…What's the legal age for ppl to be able to apparate?  17 or 18?  Cos I'm very confused as to the whole 'of age' thing in Book Five.  

(Oooo, and guess what I just watched…who remembers SeaQuest DSV!!  *lol*  Talk about a blast from the past…)  Anyways, thanks heaps for the reviews!!

Toodles.


	20. Questions

CHAPTER TWENTY: QUESTIONS

**Thursday, 18th February 1999**

Despite the all out suspicion and distrust that Buffy was experiencing from the staff at Hogwarts, Buffy was generally alright with her situation.  Being with Draco had made things far easier, and every day she found herself falling for him just a little bit more.  She couldn't say that she was completely in love with him just yet, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would be.

The thought of it scared and excited her on so many levels.  She hadn't had a lot of good luck with men in the past, and she knew that she should never have allowed herself to get too attached to the blonde Slytherin boy, but she'd been unable to resist.  Her friendship with Blaise had grown even stronger, and she found herself feeling less alone as the days passed.

Her afternoon study sessions with Hermione, and sometimes with Harry and Ron if they got bored, continued to help Buffy in her growing interest in magic.  She was keen to learn more, and her friendship with the three Gryffindors had solidified as well.  This of course had earned her a fair amount of contempt from some of the other Slytherins who didn't know her very well.  Pansy of course was telling anyone who would listen that Buffy didn't belong in Slytherin House if she was so willing to associate with mudbloods and muggle-lovers.  

Buffy however didn't mind what Pansy said about her.  The only people whose opinions mattered to her were Blaise and Draco, and they didn't seem to mind who she socialised with, as long as she still made time for them.  Neither Draco nor Blaise could understand why Buffy would be friends with people who outright despised the Slytherins, but they accepted that Buffy hadn't grown up with the ideals of the Wizarding world and cared very little for the House feuds that existed.

And so, Buffy found herself once more seated in the library with Hermione sitting next to her, the two Seventh Year girls hunched over textbooks and ancient tomes, eagerly studying a topic for DADA.  Ever since the previous Saturday, Hermione had been extremely curious about what was going on between Draco and Buffy, but she hadn't thought that it was her position to ask.  The Gryffindor girl wondered how Pansy Parkinson had known that Buffy had been accused of murder, but she hadn't asked that either.

Buffy sighed tiredly and stretched in her seat.  Before she knew what had happened, someone had placed their hands over her eyes.  A deep and silky voice whispered in her ear.  "Guess who?"

"Hmmm…Ron?" Buffy teased.

Draco growled and plopped into the seat beside her, giving her a quick kiss in greeting.

"Not funny Summers," Draco complained.

"Is it my fault that your sense of humour is severely lacking?" Buffy asked.

Draco scowled and Buffy couldn't help but grin. He really was cute when he was angry.  She leant forward and kissed him again, unable to resist the almost-pout crossing his lips.

Hermione cleared her throat uncomfortably.  She couldn't believe that she was friends with Draco Malfoy's girlfriend.  What was even stranger was the fact that she genuinely liked Buffy Summers, regardless of the warnings she had received from Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall regarding Buffy's history.

Draco and Buffy broke apart, the Slayer blushing slightly.

"Sorry Granger," Draco said, bordering on polite.  "Just came to see my girl.  Oh, and to give her this."

He pulled out a small box from his robe pockets and handed it to Buffy.  She took it gingerly and looked at him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Open it and find out," Draco replied.

Buffy shrugged and pried the box open.  Inside was a pendant on a thin black leather cord.  The pendant was a small silver dragon.

"Oh wow…Drake…Draco, it's gorgeous," Buffy whispered.

Draco smiled and took the necklace from the box.  He shifted so that he could place it around her neck.  Buffy carefully swept her hair up so that Draco could help her put it on.  

"It's a late Valentine's Day gift," he explained.  "I couldn't organise to get anything for you on Saturday, but…I owled a jewellery store and arranged for it to be made.  I did a little research, and found out that dragons represent our passions, our emotions.  It didn't hurt that dragons are meant to be the things that are the greatest guardians of treasure.  That way, when I'm not around, you'll still be guarded."

He dropped a kiss to the back of her neck when he finally managed to work the clasp, and drew away, Buffy letting her hair fall around her shoulders once more.  They shared another kiss before Draco stood up.

"I'll see you back in the Common Room," Draco said.

Buffy nodded and squeezed his hand before he walked away.  Buffy grinned widely and fingered the necklace fondly.  She hadn't been expecting Draco to do anything like that, and the fact that he'd done it made her heart burst with blooming love.  Hermione couldn't help but smile at her friend's obvious happiness.

"I never thought I would see the day that Draco Malfoy fell in love," Hermione commented.  "Although I have to admit, he's far nicer than he's ever been before.  You're a good influence on him."

"Maybe he just needed someone to see him as something other than…what did Ron call him?  An evil, smarmy bastard?  He's got depth, but no one's ever bothered to find out before," Buffy said.

Hermione had never thought about Draco's side of it.  All she had ever seen of the Slytherin boy was a malicious and manipulative, self-absorbed boy who would run to his father if anything had ever gone wrong.  She wasn't even really certain why she hated Draco so much, except for the fact that Draco despised her and her two best friends.  

They sat in silence for a moment longer before Hermione spoke again.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"About what Pansy said…about the whole murderer thing," Hermione began.  Buffy sighed.  She was surprised that no one else besides Draco had ever asked her about what Pansy had said the other day in the Great Hall.  "How did she know?"

Buffy just shrugged.  "I thinks she overheard me talking to one of the Professors about it," the Slytherin girl replied.  "No doubt she's plotting my imminent downfall even as we speak."

"Why does she hate you so much?" Hermione asked.

Buffy sighed and touched the necklace once more.  "Because I got what she's always wanted.  And I did it without even trying to."

"Are you worried that she'll try and do something to you?" Hermione asked.

Buffy shrugged nonchalantly.  "The worst she can really do is spread rumours around.  Trust me, I've dealt with that and a lot worse at my last two schools."

"Actually, the worst she could do is probably a lot worse than that.  In a school where we learn magic, I'm pretty certain she could come up with something," Hermione warned.

"Well, I'll burn that bridge when I get to it I suppose," Buffy said thoughtfully.  She laughed a little, remembering one of the tactics that Giles had told her to use when she'd been facing Angelus.  _Don't let him provoke you._  "Maybe if I ignore her she'll go away."

"Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked doubtfully.  "That girl may be thick as a brick, but she's nothing if not incredibly determined.  Especially when it comes to Draco Malfoy." 

The two girls looked up as they heard simultaneous groans.  Harry and Ron sat themselves down on the opposite side of the table, disgusted looks on their faces.

"It's bad enough that you have to date the git, do we have to talk about him too?" Ron complained.

"No one asked you to interrupt our private conversation Ron Weasley," Hermione replied.  "If you don't like it, you don't have to be here."

Ron held up his hands in surrender.  "Alright, fine.  But I vote for a change of topic."

"Have either of you started studying for the exams yet?" Hermione asked.

They both looked at her incredulously.  "'Mione, the exams don't start for another three months."

"Yes, but these are the most important exams that you'll ever sit," Hermione emphasised.  "If you fail these, you won't be able to get a job when we leave Hogwarts."

"Let me guess, you've already got a few jobs lined up," Ron said.

Hermione flushed and glared at him.  She hated feeling guilty for excelling at school, and Ron always baited her with her over-achievements.

"One actually," Hermione corrected him.  "You could too if you actually cared about your future."

Harry rolled his eyes, wondering if his two best friends would ever be able to hold a civil conversation with each other.  He doubted it.  He looked to Buffy who was trying not to laugh at Ron and Hermione's antics.

"What about you Buffy?" Harry asked.  "What will you be doing when you graduate?"

Buffy paused and eventually just shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer the question honestly.  After she left Hogwarts, she would be back to the Slaying, but unless she found a way to prove her innocence before then, she wouldn't be Slaying back in Sunnydale ever again.

"Not too sure.  I might just travel or something," Buffy replied.  It was about as honest as she could get.

"Now there's an idea," Ron said, thinking longingly of the exotic adventures that his brother Charlie always had.  Charlie worked in Romania with dragons, and Ron always hung on every word of Charlie's stories about his travels.

"I wouldn't mind travelling," Harry said thoughtfully.  "I've never been out of England.  I reckon Sirius'd be interested in travelling around as well.  Now that everything with Voldemort's over, I don't really have to worry about anything."

Ron and Hermione winced in perfect unison.  "Now you've done it!" Ron exclaimed.  "You've just bloody jinxed yourself.  Now something bad's probably gonna happen."

Harry groaned and rolled his eyes.  "Nothing bad is going to happen," he replied calmly.  "Voldemort's dead, the Death-Eaters are all in jail for life-sentences.  I haven't seen hide nor hair of the Dursley's in years, which is just the way I like it thank you very much.  If I can get a job at the Ministry or join a Quidditch team, I'll be perfectly content, but I want to get out of England for a while."

"Where d'you wanna go?" Buffy asked curiously.

Harry shrugged.  "Anywhere.  Everywhere.  America maybe.  Is it nice there?"

"Yeah I guess.  I'm a California girl though, I've never seen anywhere else," Buffy explained.  "Do they have…y'know, wizarding communities all around the world?"

All three Gryffindors nodded.  "Absolutely," Hermione replied knowledgably.  "They're everywhere in the world.  I'd be curious to visit them, see how different other witches and wizards are to the ones here in England."

"Not another research expedition," Ron complained.  "Aren't you ever going to go out and just do something for the fun of it?"

Harry and Buffy rolled their eyes and tuned out the bickering pair.

"Good god, they're worse than you and Ginny," Buffy said.

Harry went bright red and began stuttering, completely flustered.  "H-how…we aren't…it's not…I'm not…"

Buffy laughed a little and shook her head.  "Harry, Ron won't kill you for liking his sister.  Trust me, if anything, he'll probably be glad that it's someone he likes rather than someone he hates.  Besides, in the end, it's Ginny's decision."

Harry shrugged sheepishly.  "You can't blame a bloke for being scared though.  She's got six brothers, all of whom could kick my arse on any day of the week if they wanted to."

"They won't.  Look, not to be pushy or anything, but you're gonna hafta make a move soon.  This is your last year at Hogwarts, and if you don't move now, you'll lose her forever," Buffy said.

He nodded thoughtfully and finally smile.  "I never thought I'd see the day when a Slytherin gave me good advice."

Buffy just grinned.  "What can I say?  It's a gift." 

---------

I know, I _know _you don't like H/Gin, but I can't help it.  It's not a major plot thing, so just try and live with it… 

SNEAK PREVIEW:

_She looked up at him and smiled, reaching out her hand towards him.  He took it and stepped forward, placing one knee on the bed beside her.  Buffy smiled up at him, suddenly feeling incredibly shy.  It hit her that they were alone in his bedroom, and she knew that their earlier make-out session had left him wanting._

_She scooted backwards down the bed, Draco following her, kneeling above her in a predator-like manner.  He leant his weight on his arms, his heart suddenly racing at the very idea of making love to his girlfriend…_

(and YES I know I am cruel.)

Toodles.


	21. Flying Lessons

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: FLYING LESSONS

Saturday, February 27th 1999 

The students of Hogwarts sat down to breakfast, the hall filled with loud noises as students made plans for their weekend.  It was beginning to get less cold, something for which Buffy was infinitely grateful for.  Coming from the warmer climates of Sunnydale California, she hadn't been expecting the blistering cold of England.  

Her tan had been beginning to fade, which was why, now that it was slightly warmer during the day, she spent as much time outside in the sun as she could.  As soon as breakfast was over, she had plans to lie in the sun with Draco and do very little else.

"You finished?" Draco asked quietly.

Buffy swallowed her last mouthful of juice and nodded.  He took her hand and stood up, the two of them ignoring the smirks and knowing looks that they got from the other Slytherin students.  Draco knew that nearly every student in the school thought that his new attitude was the funniest thing they had ever seen.  His reputation as the bad-boy Slytherin had been shot to hell, but honestly, he really didn't care.

They walked hand-in-hand out of the hall, Buffy refusing to sink to a low level and smile smugly at Pansy even as the pug-faced Slytherin girl glared at she and Draco.  It took some effort, but she schooled her features into a perfectly neutral look.  As soon as she was outside however, she burst into a fit of laughter.

Draco just looked at her, wondering if his girlfriend had finally cracked.

"What?"

"Pansy," Buffy choked out in between snorts of laughter.  "I swear, if looks could kill, I'd be buried twenty feet under by now."

Draco didn't like the sounds of that suggestion, and pulled her closer to him, his arm now around her waist, holding her tightly against him.

"Don't say stuff like that."

Buffy looked at him, wondering why he looked so serious.  "Drake?  You okay?  Cos, I really didn't mean anything by it.  It was just a joke."

Draco sighed and pushed a stray strand of hair out of his eyes.  

"I know you don't mean anything by it, but…sometimes I worry.  About Pansy.  About what she could do to you if she really is as annoyed about us as everyone thinks she is.  She could get really dangerous," Draco said.

Buffy looked at him in shock.  She'd never considered Pansy to be of any real threat to herself or to Draco. 

"You don't honestly think she'd do something do you?" Buffy asked.  She wasn't particularly worried about any sort of physically attack.  Even without her strength, Buffy was fairly certain she'd be able to defeat the other Slytherin girl.  It would be a magical attack that Buffy would find herself disadvantaged in. 

"I don't know.  I hope not."

They pondered these heavy thoughts for a moment longer before Buffy smiled.  "Come on, let's not waste our time wondering about what she could be plotting.  It's a beautiful Saturday morning.  Surely we have better things to be doing than talking about her."

Draco smirked and the couple stopped walking as they approached 'their' spot by the lake.  He pulled her into a hug and lowered his lips to hers, brushing them gently in the barest hint of a kiss.  

"What did you have in mind?" he asked.

She smiled and kissed him, revelling in the feeling of the sun beating down on them.  She would never have admitted it out loud, but she had hated that she and Angel could never have spent a day in the sun together.  Being with Draco like this was proof of why she and Angel never would have worked out.

"I'm sure we could think of something," Buffy whispered coyly.  She kissed him deeply, the kind of kiss that made a person's toes-curl; that left them breathless and starving for air.  They broke apart, their noses still brushing against each other.  "Actually…there is one thing I've always wanted to do with you…"

He looked at her with interest.  She smiled brightly and kissed him again.

"Teach me to fly."

He pulled back from her, incredibly confused.

"What?"

She laughed and swatted his chest.  "Keep your mind outta the gutter Malfoy.  Teach me to fly."

"On a broom?"

She rolled her eyes.  "Is there any other way?"

His lips curled into a slow smile.  "You really want to learn?"

She nodded.  "Yeah.  Ever since I watched that Quidditch match my first weekend here.  Will you teach me?  Cos, if not, I could go and get Harry-"

She squealed a little as he grabbed her roughly by the waist, pulling her to his chest possessively.  "That great git of a Gryffindor is _not_ teaching you how to fly."

Buffy giggled and kissed him again.  Draco sighed and felt the anger rush from him.  He had never met anyone who could get him so worked up and then calm him down so instantly.  He trailed a hand through Buffy's hair and let it drift down her back.  She arched into him and slid one of her hands beneath his sweater, revelling in the warmth of his skin.

"You're sure you want to do this right now?" Draco asked, a definite whine in his voice.

She pulled away reluctantly and nodded.  "I do."

He stole another kiss before pulling away from the temptation.  "Okay.  Come on, we'll go grab my broom.  I'll ask Banks if he'll lend you his broom."

"Who's Banks?" Buffy asked curiously as they headed back towards the school.

"Oh, he's one of the Chasers on the team.  Sixth year.  Not a bad player actually."

"When are you set to play next?" Buffy asked.

"Well, the teams only play three games a year, until the finals.  You've missed our games with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.  We had them in October and early January," he explained.  "So, our next game's against Gryffindor.  That's not for another month.  March twentieth."

"Cool.  Hermione told me that the Slytherin vs Gryffindor games are the most exciting Quidditch matches besides the professional world cup games," Buffy said.

Draco chuckled a little.  "Well they are.  Mainly because none of us can stand each other.  It makes for an interesting competition."

Buffy just rolled her eyes.  "I'll bet."

"You should come to our practices," Draco said.  "They're on Thursday afternoons."

Buffy nodded.  She was curious to see Draco in action.  She'd only heard off the other Slytherin girls that her boyfriend was actually a fair Quidditch Player.  She'd heard the tale from Harry, Ron and Hermione about the second year fiasco with Draco 'buying' his way onto the team, but then showing to have a real talent for the sport.

They reached the castle and walked down to their Common Room.  Buffy offered to wait while Draco went to fetch the broomsticks, but he pulled her up the stairs to the boys dormitory.

"Come on.  I've seen your room.  It's only fair that I show you mine," he reasoned.

He opened the door to the Seventh Year boys room.  It looked much like the girls room, round with the five four-poster beds against the walls.  Except the room was far, far messier.  Buffy sat on Draco's bed, looking around, trying to see what sort of area lived in when he wasn't in the Common Room or somewhere with her.  

It was a dark room that suited Draco.  He looked at home here.  

"What do you think?" Draco asked quietly as he watched her look around his room. 

She looked up at him and smiled, reaching out her hand towards him.  He took it and stepped forward, placing one knee on the bed beside her.  Buffy smiled up at him, suddenly feeling incredibly shy.  It hit her that they were alone in his bedroom, and she knew that their earlier make-out session had left him wanting.

She scooted backwards down the bed, Draco following her, kneeling above her in a predator-like manner.  He leant his weight on his arms, his heart suddenly racing at the very idea of making love to his girlfriend.  It was with that thought of making love to her that Draco was suddenly shocked out of his blissful haze.  He sat back, his eyes slightly wide and shocked.

"Draco?" Buffy asked quietly.

He licked his lips and looked at her, wanting nothing more than to lay down beside her and lose himself in her.  But…

"We're not ready for this," he whispered, almost ashamed of the statement.  He tried to look away, but when Buffy smiled brightly at him, he found himself entranced.

She sat up and captured his lips in a sweet kiss.

"I know.  And besides which, any of your friends could walk in here at any second," Buffy said.  "I know we're not ready.  But that doesn't mean that we can't lie here and just…be together without actually…y'know _being_ together."

He smiled and couldn't help but laugh at Buffy's words.  He lowered himself onto the bed, laying next to her, one elbow propping his head up so that he was looking down at her.  His other hand came up to play with her hair, his fingers trailing across her face gently, coaxing a smile from the girl.

"Would you want to?" he asked, shyly hesitant.  "With me…would you want us to…be together?"

She smiled and moved her hand to take his.  She gave it a gentle squeeze before answering.  "You're right.  We're not ready yet."

"Yes, but…would you want to?" 

She smiled and Draco took in the blush that suddenly covered her cheeks.  "Definitely."

He grinned and leant down to kiss her.  Just because they weren't ready to make love didn't mean they couldn't still have fun with one another.  

Many, many, many minutes later, they pulled back breathless.  

"I thought I was going to teach you how to fly," Draco whispered.

"I think you already have."

------------------------

Three and a half hours after they'd gone into the castle to retrieve brooms, they exited, brooms in hand.  Draco led Buffy down to the Quidditch pitch and dropped the brooms to the ground.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded nervously and allowed Draco to guide her so that she stood to the left of the broom.  He took her hand in one of his and held it above the broomstick, his other hand snaking around her waist to rest on her stomach.

"Alright…now…relax, and say 'up'." 

Buffy twisted her head around to look at him incredulously.  "You want me to relax when your hands are making me feel all fluttery?  Like that'll happen."

Draco laughed and kissed the delicate spot just below and behind Buffy's ear.  She closed her eyes contentedly and practically purred, her head lolling to the side to give him better access.  He pulled back without warning, completely letting go of her.  She turned to face him, her hands on her hips, looking the perfect picture of indignity.

"Hey!" 

He grinned and moved to stand next to his own broom.

"You were the one complaining, not me," he reminded her.

"Grr."

He motioned for her to get back into position, which she did.  She forced herself to relax, and tried to repress the feelings that Draco had invoked in her.  She couldn't believe that he could affect her so easily.  It wasn't fair!

She shook herself out and evened her breathing.  She placed her hand over the broom and looked down at it.  "Up!"  She watched in amazement as it flew into her hand.  She grinned and looked at Draco, excitement in her eyes.

"I did it!" she exclaimed.

He grinned at her and commanded his own broom.  It flew into his hands.  

"Alright.  Now, mount your broom," he said.

Buffy watched Draco swing his leg over his own broomstick, and Buffy followed suit.  He looked at the positioning of her hands.  "That's good.  You're a natural."

She smiled happily.  "Thanks.  Now what?"

"Just pull the handle up a little and lift your feet from the ground," he instructed.

Buffy breathed in deeply, but did as she was told.  She grinned in delight as she realized that she was now floating three-feet from the ground.

"Very, very cool."

Draco smiled, enjoying Buffy's happiness.  He put his feet on the ground and let go of his broom.  He moved and gestured for Buffy to scoot forwards on her broom before positioning himself behind you.

"It'll be easier to teach you this way," he explained.

She turned her head to smirk at him knowingly.  "You're making this up aren't you?"

He kissed her quickly and winked.  "I most certainly am."

She giggled and let herself relax against him as he encircled her waist with his arms, his hands covering hers, his chin resting gently on her shoulder.  She felt him guiding their movements, pulling up on the broomstick so that it hovered a littler higher in the air.  Carefully, he pushed them forwards to add some speed to their flight, the broom slowly moving forwards.

Buffy's breath caught in her throat, slightly fearful that the broom wouldn't be able to hold two people on it.  She trusted Draco though, and if he thought that this was safe, then she would take his word for it.

"Want to go faster?" Draco asked, his mouth close to Buffy's ear, sending delectable shivers down her spine.  She nodded and felt Draco pressing further into her, forcing her to bend forward a little more.  

He showed her how to turn, and when Buffy felt her confidence building, Draco moved his hands so that they were holding her around the waist, rather than guiding her motions.  Soon enough, Buffy was steering them around the Quidditch pitch, dodging in and out of the goals at the end of the field.  The thrill-seeker within the Slayer came out to play, and Buffy drove the broom into a spectacular dive, Draco tightening his grip a little, unsure if Buffy would be able to handle such a daring move on her first flight.

"Pull up!" he instructed as they came closer to colliding with the ground.

Buffy just grinned, but didn't pull up.  

"Buffy, pull up!" he yelled.

She shook her head.  He went to move his hands onto the broomstick so he could pull them out of the dive, but Buffy brought one of her own hands up to cover both of his, holding them tightly.  Draco tried to move his hands away, but found that he couldn't move them.  

Buffy grinned internally.  She loved weekends for many reasons, but her returning strength was one of the top ones.  On Saturdays and Sundays, she was usually at half or three-quarter strength.  Her energy levels were far better than they'd been in the last few weeks.  Restraining Draco's hands was easy enough to do, and she'd never been more glad of it than she was now.

Draco however was suddenly feeling incredibly nervous.  With barely a foot to spare, Buffy pulled up hard, the broom straightening out and slowing to a stop directly next to Draco's broom still on the grass.

Draco swallowed hard and got off the broom, his legs shaking.  He looked at her incredulously.

"I can't believe you just did that!"

She looked at him sheepishly.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to freak you out like that."

"No!  Buffy!  That dive was…incredible!  As a first-time flyer you shouldn't even be able to do anything like that.  Especially not with two people on your broom.  That was…wow.  Let's just say that if we didn't have a full team for Quidditch you'd be on it without question," he gushed.

She smiled, both heartened by his complimentary words, and glad that she hadn't made him angry with her.  She pointed to Draco's broom.  "Wanna race?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if she really thought she'd be able to outfly someone who'd be flying most of his life.

"You think you can beat me?" Draco challenged.

"I bet I can."

"So what will I get when I win?" Draco asked cockily.

She glared at him and hit his arm playfully.  "_If_ you win, I'll…"

"Come to Hogsmeade with me next weekend," Draco finished for her.

Buffy's face fell.  She'd forgotten about the Hogsmeade visit.  She was fairly certain that she wouldn't be allowed to go.  She wasn't up to asking Dumbledore for permission, and she had a feeling he wouldn't allow it in any case.

"Drake…"

Draco's face fell.  "Oh…right."  He often forgot that she wasn't just at Hogwarts to learn magic.  This was a rehabilitation thing for her, and Hogsmeade was a privilege that he was certain Buffy wouldn't be allowed to have.  "God, I'm sorry.  I'm such a git."

"No, you're not a git…whatever the hell that means.  You're not.  I really wish I could," she said honestly.

"Have you even asked Dumbledore?" Draco asked.

She sighed and shook her head.  "I'm not really one to push my luck, y'know."

"Well, he's usually a pretty reasonable guy." 

Buffy sighed.  _Except when it comes to me.  _She'd still been unable to prove her innocence to him, and he'd never asked her for her side of the story_._  She shook her head and looked sadly at her boyfriend.

"I really am sorry," she whispered.

He moved towards her and kissed her gently.  "Not your fault.  Besides, when I win this race, I'll accept my reward in the form of kisses."

She grinned, suddenly feeling their light mood return.  She pushed him towards his broom and watched as he expertly mounted it.

"You're on Dragon Boy."

-----

Re-uploaded to change the date of the next Gryff vs Slyth match of Quidditch.  Not April 3 anymore.  March 20.  Me being pedantic and not being bothered to fill in two weeks worth of stuff happening.


	22. Payback

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: PAYBACK

**Monday, March 1st 1999**

Monday morning came, and even though it was the beginning of the worst day of the week, Buffy still had a smile on her face.  She'd lost the race by barely an inch, and she'd been paying for it ever since.  Not that she minded, she recalled with a happy grin.  Most of Sunday had been spent studying with Blaise and Draco in Buffy's room.  Blaise had eventually left in disgust at the couple's antics, but she really was pleased to see her two friends so happily, mushily in love with each other.  All she needed now was a boyfriend of her own.

Buffy made her way to Professor Dumbledore's office, hating that even after four weeks of being at Hogwarts, she'd never been able to tell the Headmaster what had truly happened.  She'd never been able to think of a way to prove her innocence, which was what the main problem was.  And now she was torn between having Dumbledore learn the truth or not.  Once the truth finally got out, she'd be forced to leave Hogwarts.

And that was the problem.  Did she want to return home to her best friends, to her family?  Or did she want to stay at Hogwarts in the new life that she'd made?  It was hard to balance out.  On one hand, the only people at Hogwarts that she was particularly attached to were Draco, Blaise and Hermione, going back to Sunnydale meant returning to a life of fighting and of pain.  Staying in Hogwarts however, meant a life of distrust and suspicion and having her strength stolen from her.  It was a hard choice that Buffy didn't want to make.

She sighed and let herself into Dumbledore's office.

"Morning Professor," she greeted, still too happy from her previous day's activities with Draco to be upset about anything, including her weekly injection.

"Good morning Miss Summers," Dumbledore said, looking slightly surprised by the smile on Buffy's face.  "You're looking awfully cheery this morning."

She grinned at him and took a seat.  "I had a good weekend."

"Ah yes…you're budding relationship with Mr Malfoy.  It's nice to see that boy smile," Dumbledore commented, his eyes twinkling fondly.  He'd been surprised to learn that Buffy and Draco had begun a relationship, but he wasn't against it.  He had seen the difference in the Slytherin boy, and he wasn't about to try and take that away.  It had been too long since that boy had had any joy in his life.

Dumbledore opened the drawer to his desk and took out the syringe, watching Buffy's face carefully.  She hid her wince rather well, but Dumbledore had seen it.  He levelled out the syringe and moved to the other side of the desk, Buffy rolling up her sleeve and holding out her arm.  

Dumbledore knew that the drugs weren't working as well as they had in the previous weeks.  Buffy's body had been growing an immunity to them, and Dumbledore himself had purposefully diluted this weeks injection.  He wanted to know if Buffy would confess that her strength had not entirely been taken away from her.

The Headmaster of the School was not notoriously known for trusting people easily.  Over the years, he had learnt that even the most innocent looking people could very well prove to be evil, murderous traitors.  That was why, when he'd been told of the rogue Slayer, he hadn't been entirely forthcoming in the area of trust.  But, after having observed Buffy Summers for four weeks, he knew that there was something he was missing.  He was fairly certain that the girl was completely innocent, though he had yet to work out how to prove it.

He knew that the Slayer had neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, but he knew she was fairly itching to tell someone what had happened the night of the murder.  Dumbledore however, was waiting for the correct time to approach the girl about what had happened.  He could see how quickly she'd integrated herself into Hogwarts, opening up to people as much as she could, rather than shutting herself away from them.  She was a charming and charismatic girl who had become immensely popular within Slytherin and in the other houses as well.  She was possibly the only Slytherin that barely anyone had any complaints about.

All he knew was that the truth would have to come out soon, and when it did, things were going to get even more interesting.  

------------------------

Buffy sat through Defence Against the Dark Arts feeling incredibly paranoid.  Ethan had been smirking at her every few minutes, which wasn't overly unusual for him, but it had had a different edge to it than usual.  She was fairly certain that Ethan had finally decided on what his payback was going to be, and the Slayer knew without a doubt that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be fun.

She'd been waiting all lesson for him to ask her something humiliating, but as the class was dismissed, she breathed a sigh of relief.  As she went to walk out of the room, the black book bag she carried over her shoulder split open.  She looked at it in confusion.  She hadn't been carrying that much.

Draco and Blaise stopped to help her pick up her items, and Hermione lingered, having asked Ethan a question regarding something he'd brought up during the lesson.  

"Nice one Summers," Blaise teased as she helped retrieve Buffy's fallen items.

"It's a talent," Buffy replied, grinning.

Buffy stood up and moved to fetch a quill that had floated into a darkened corner.  She suddenly felt a familiar presence tickle at the back of her neck.  She stood and straightened, moving into an automatic defensive position that she hadn't assumed in weeks.  She gasped as a very familiar figure stepped out of the shadows and moved towards her.  She took a step back, bumping into Draco.

The three other students looked at what had spooked Buffy and gasped, the three of them moving backwards.  Draco tried to pull Buffy back with him, but she stood her ground.

In front of them was a vampire in full game-face, towering above them, an evil smirk on his face.  He looked directly at Buffy and smiled.

"Hello lover."

------------------------

(Was gonna cut the chapter there, but it was too short.  You're lucky I like long chapters…so…this is what we like to call a dramatic pause.  If this was being filmed, this would have been a commercial break.)

Buffy felt her world begin to break down around her.  This was not what she'd been expecting.  Was this Ethan's revenge?  Bringing Angel to Hogwarts and removing his soul, thereby returning Angelus.  Not even Ethan was foolish enough to do that.  He would never have dared bring a vampire into the school if he valued his job.

"You're not real," Buffy said, her voice shaking slightly.

Angelus just shrugged nonchalantly.  "You fear me.  That makes me real."

He took another step towards her, and she noticed that his hands were behind his back.  She couldn't help but wonder what was behind them. She still wasn't sure what was going on.  She didn't know enough about the magic realm to understand what was happening.

Angelus saw that Buffy's gaze was trying to see what was behind his back.  To make it easier on her, he moved his arms, revealing that he was holding two swords.  He threw one to Buffy, which the Slayer caught easily.  She studied it carefully and gasped in recognition.

"You remember that sword, don't you lover?" Angelus taunted.  He suddenly slid out of game face, and Buffy's heart wrenched at seeing the familiar face of Angel.  Except, it wasn't his soft chocolate eyes looking back at her.  It was the hardened browns of Angelus. "That's the sword you killed me with.  The sword you sent me to hell with.  Except…wait…that wasn't _me_ you killed. You killed Angel, Buff.  Remember?"

A tear slid down Buffy's cheek, her mind racing to try and keep up with this strange turn of events.  Instinct took over, and Buffy lunged towards him in outrage, anger and fear overwhelming her and making her slightly crazy.  He parried her thrust and countered with his own attack.  Buffy didn't notice it, but their footsteps mimicked the fight that they'd had in front of Acathla the year before.  

She also didn't notice that she was slowly gaining the upper hand.  She did, however, notice that her strength was not at the weakened level she was so used to on a Monday.  She felt almost as she had felt on Friday.  Her strength was diminished, but not completely gone.  

Angelus suddenly delivered a painful punch to Buffy's face that sent the Slayer sprawling.  Draco went to race forward, but found himself frozen in his spot, unable to do anything but watch.  Unbeknownst to him, Ethan Rayne stood behind the watching trio, wanting to see Buffy get taken down a notch or two, without doing her any real damage.  He would end the spell on the teens, and destroy the boggart before the vampiric illusion could kill her.  But for now, he was content to watch her, a smug smile on his face.  He hadn't been expecting her greatest fear to be anything as deliciously entertaining as this.

Buffy shuffled backwards and felt her back hit the wall.  Angelus stood over her, his sword swinging mockingly in front of her, pointed at her face.  If the incredible sense of déjà vu wasn't enough, the words that spilled from Angelus' mouth made it even worse.  They echoed the words that her evil ex-lover had taunted her with long ago.

"So that's it then.  No weapons, no friends, no hope.  Take all that away and what's left?"

Angelus lunged forward, the sword aimed directly at Buffy's head.  The Slayer clapped her hands around the flattened edge of the blade, stopping it scant millimetres from her face.  She looked up at Angelus defiantly.

"Me."

She shoved the sword backwards, the hilt hitting Angelus' face, sending him stumbling backwards.  Buffy grabbed her own sword and quickly stood, swinging back and then thrusting the blade into Angelus' gut.  The vampire gasped, his eyes opening in shock.  Buffy watched in horror as an orange light glowed through them, and she knew without a doubt that it was Angel's soulful eyes that she was now looking at.

"Buffy," he whispered.  The way he said her name broke Buffy's heart.  She could still remember that fateful morning that she'd been forced to kill Angel, and having to relive it was the most painful thing she'd ever had to do.  She took a step back and covered her mouth with her hands, shocked at what had just happened.  

Draco, Blaise and Hermione barely heard the shocked whisper of "oh god" before the Slayer turned and fled from the room, wanting to be anywhere but the DADA classroom.

It was Blaise who came to her senses first and looked between Draco and Hermione.  "What the bloody hell was that?"

---------

You guys are awesome!  Thanks heaps for yoru reviews and stuff!  Always wonderful to hear from you guys!!

SNEAK PREVIEW:

_"You're quite welcome my dear.  I do, however, have one thing that I would like to ask you," Dumbledore said._

_"You didn't kill Allan Finch, did you?"_

And it only takes him 22 chapters to ask.  *grins*

Toodles.


	23. Trust

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: TRUST

**Monday, 1st March 1999**

Buffy ran blindly out of the school, heading as far away as she could possibly get, tears streaming down her face.  She kept running until she hit the edge of the forbidden forest.  She wasn't so out of it as to go in there.  Instead, she slowed her pace and caught her breath, walking the barrier of the forest until she hit a large hut.

"Oi!  You there!" a loud voice called out to her.  "What d'you think you're doin' here?"

She turned and gasped as she saw the incredibly large man in front of her.  Whatever she'd been expecting, it hadn't been that.  

"I…I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Hagrid saw that the girl had been crying, and his heart went out to her.  He approached her cautiously and wondered what had happened to her.

"Are you orright?" he asked gently.

Buffy shook her head sadly and sat on the steps of the hut.

"D'ya want to talk about it?" Hagrid offered.

Again, she shook her head.  Hagrid was at a loss for words.  He'd never really had to deal with crying teenagers before.  Especially ones that he'd never met before.

"I don't think I've seen you 'round here before.  What's yer name?"

"Buffy Summers," she replied.

Hagrid's eyes widened in surprise.  He recognised the name.  He'd heard the Professors talking about her.  She was the young American girl that had been sent to Hogwarts as some sort of disciplinary measure.

"Yer the American girl," he said.

"Yup."

"Rubeus Hagrid's the name," he said.  "Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.  Does anyone know you're out here?"

"Nope.  Not my fault anyway.  They can blame him," Buffy said, still shaking slightly and not entirely with all of her sanity in tact.

She rested her head on her arms that were proper up on her curled up knees.  She tried to calm her breathing, remembering the techniques that Giles had taught her.  After several minutes, she felt the air around her shift and she knew that someone was sitting beside her.  She knew instinctively that it wasn't Hagrid.

"You and Professor Rayne had a history," Albus Dumbledore said quietly, stating it as a fact rather than questioning her.

Buffy laughed harshly and looked up and across at the headmaster.  "You could say that," she replied wryly. 

"I wasn't aware that you two knew each other," he said.  "He should not have done that to you."

Buffy sighed, grateful that she wasn't the only one thinking that Ethan had been completely out of line.  

"What was it?" Buffy asked.  "I mean…it wasn't actually him, was it?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"It was a boggart.  A shape-shifter of sorts.  It assumes the form of our greatest fears.  As a Slayer, a vampire would naturally be the thing you fear the most," Dumbledore explained.  "Why it was _that_ vampire in particular however…"

"Angelus," Buffy whispered sadly.  

"Rupert told me that the two of you had been in a relationship at one stage," Dumbledore prodded.

Buffy nodded.  "Yeah.  We were.  I mean, I was with Angel.  Not with Angelus."

"It was a rather cruel thing for Ethan to do," Dumbledore said.  "He and I will be having words."

Buffy sighed tiredly.  "It wasn't _all_ his fault.  I asked him about something I knew he would be upset about.  He was just being Ethan and decided it was time for payback."

"Ah, but he is old enough to know better.  And I believe that you were retaliating to his provocation from your first lesson.  Am I right?"

She nodded and looked up at the sky, enjoying the sun on her face.  After facing her worst fear, the fresh air was exactly what she needed.  A thought occurred to her suddenly, and she knew that she needed to know the answer.  She was fairly certain she was going to regret asking, but she knew that if the Headmaster discovered her treachery, she would be shipped off to the Watcher's Council.

"Sir?  Today's injection…I don't think it worked properly.  Usually I'm feeling really tired, and…during that fight, I was nearly at full strength," she admitted.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, glad that he had been right in his assumption that Buffy would tell him as soon as she discovered her strength.  

"Yes, I know."

Buffy just looked at him in confusion.  "You do?"

He nodded as though the answer was obvious.  

"I wanted to see if you would tell me about it."

Buffy didn't know exactly how to react to that piece of news.  Hearing that she was being tested without her knowledge had felt like a kick in the gut, but knowing that she had passed with flying colours within two hours of the test beginning made her feel grateful that she had confessed.  

"How long did I have to come clean?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Until Wednesday afternoon," Dumbledore replied.

"Are you going to give me another dose?" she asked apprehensively.  She hated the injections almost as much as she hated what they did to her.  She'd always had a strange fear of needles ever since she was little, and the thought of having to have another injection in one day wasn't helping her nerves.

"No," he replied simply.

"No?  I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, but…no?  Just like that?"

"It's another test you see," he explained.  "To see if we can trust you when you are no longer being sedated.  And for you to begin to trust yourself."

"I've always trusted myself," Buffy replied, without really thinking.  She suddenly realise what she had just said, and turned to look at him, to see if he had been offended by her outburst.  He just smiled benignly.  

"I knew that too."

She couldn't help but grin.  Even though it was Dumbledore who had been giving her the hated injections, she couldn't help but like the elderly wizard.  "How long is this test gonna be?" 

"Another week of half injections, and if all goes well, we'll stop administering them altogether."  

Buffy smiled happily.  It was nice to hear that she was being given a chance to prove herself.  She'd definitely missed her energy levels that she'd taken for granted since becoming the Slayer.  The lethargy that she'd been feeling for the last four weeks had been annoying her, and hearing that she would soon be back to her normal self was heartening. 

"Thank you Professor," she said gratefully.

"You're quite welcome my dear.  I do, however, have one thing that I would like to ask you," he said.

She looked at him curiously and nodded.  "Shoot."

Before he asked her, however, he removed two small sweets from his pocket.  Lemon drops, his favourite.  He popped one of them into his mouth and offered the other to the Slayer.  She took it, not wanting to seem rude.  She'd never been a fan of lemons, but she wasn't going to complain.  She bit the sweet in half and crunched it until she could swallow it.  "Ask away."

"You didn't kill Allan Finch, did you?"

----

Hmmm, yes I like cliff-hangers.  Yes I'm cruel, yes I love the fact that I tease you all.  

Oh, and to KT whoever you are and didn't even sign in, get over yourself.  If you don't like crossovers, don't read them.  It's pretty clearly marked BTVS/HP usually means it's a Harry Potter crossover.  You can't deal with that, don't' come and tell me off about it.  Sheesh.  And if you can't work out that it's set when Buffy is 18 and the SAME age as Draco, then you really need some serious help.  Grrr…

Sorry, ppl like that annoy me to no end.

As for the rest of you wonderful ppl, you guys truly make my day!!

Toodles.

(No sneak preview cos nothing really happens next chapter.  *sighs*)


	24. Truth

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: TRUTH

**Monday, 1st March 1999**

Buffy looked at him with obvious surprise.  "It's taken you four weeks to ask me that," Buffy commented.

He nodded and looked at her expectantly.  She sighed and shook her head.

"No.  I never killed him.  What happened that night was…it was an accident, but it wasn't me that killed him," she admitted.

Dumbledore sighed and stroked his beard thoughtfully.  "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Would you have believed me?" she asked.

He paused and pondered his own thoughts for the last four weeks.  "Touché." 

Buffy looked at him, a huge weight lifted from her shoulders and her chest.  It was nice to finally be able to talk about what had happened, even if it was with a virtual stranger and not with her Watcher.

"It's kinda funny…I've been trying to think of ways to prove my innocence for weeks, and it was Ethan Rayne who basically proved it.  As irony goes, it's not exactly unfunny."

"Well, now it is the Council who must be convinced of this," Dumbeldore told her.

Buffy slumped in defeat.  She should have known it wouldn't be as easy as having Dumbledore suddenly believe her.

"Y'know, I've been looking into magic and spells for weeks now.  Surely there must be some way that we could use some funky mojo to prove that I'm not a psychopath," she mused.

"The Watcher's Council does not approve of our way of magic, mainly because they do not understand it.  There had only been one person from the Watcher's Council to ever go through Hogwarts," Dumbledore said.

She looked at him thoughtfully, and was fairly certain she knew who Dumbledore meant.  "Why do I get the feeling that you're talking about Giles?"

"Because I am," he replied.  "Rupert Giles, Gryffindor class of 1974."

Buffy paused and couldn't help but wonder for the millionth time in four weeks about how the house system at Hogwarts worked.

"Professor…this whole house thingy…does it really tell you what a person is like?  Cos honestly, from the way Hermione tells it, she'd have me believe that every Slytherin student is evil," Buffy said.

"That unfortunately is a tragic generalisation I'm afraid.  Whilst Miss Granger is correct in that every Death-Eater was a Slytherin, not every Slytherin was a Death-Eater," he explained.  "You yourself have discovered deeper levels within the Slytherin students.  I have seen many things over my years at Hogwarts, but I have never seen the Slytherin students laughing when it wasn't directed at another house."

"But is that just because Slytherin are cruel to the other houses, or because the other houses are prejudiced against the Slytherins?" Buffy asked.  _Which came first, the chicken or the egg?_

Dumbledore chuckled, amazed at the girls question.  He'd never really considered that question before.

"That my dear girl is anyone's guess.  All I know is that you may well be able to end the feud between the two houses," he said.

She looked at him with wide and curious eyes.  He was far smarter than she'd given him credit for.  

"Is that why you asked Hermione to tutor me?" she asked.  "So that the two houses would have to interact?"

"Honestly, I was expecting for you to be in Gryffindor," he explained.  "I should have remembered that the last Slayer at Hogwarts was a Slytherin also."

"Why is that exactly?" Buffy asked curiously.  "I mean, when you think about it, Gryffindor would be the ideal house for a Slayer.  Loyalty and bravery are pretty much in the job description."

That question had been on Buffy's mind a lot since she'd been sorted and had had the house system explained to her.  Before she'd met Blaise and had become closer to Draco, she'd thought she would have been more comfortable in Gryffindor.  The thought no longer bothered her particularly, but she was still curious about it.

"That is true," Dumbledore said slowly, thinking about the best way to word a delicate answer.  "But, your powers are rooted in dark places.  The ability to hunt, to kill, they are rather black notions.  You must be quick on your feet and have the ability to turn the fight against your opponent and those skills are inherent in Slytherin students."

"So, what?  I really am evil?" Buffy asked.

Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head.  

"You misunderstand me.  Your power is dark, but you, the girl chosen to hold that power, are not," he explained.  "You are a warrior of light."

Buffy nodded, understanding what he was trying to explain.  She had often wondered about where her powers had come from.  Hearing it explained so bluntly was a little frightening, but she was grateful for a completely straight answer.

"And Faith?  What about her?"

Dumbledore sighed.  "Even without meeting her, I can safely assume that the darkness was attempting to overtake her.  You said that the murder was an accident, and if that is the case, then it most likely pushed the darker side of slaying to the forefront within her.  She was probably frightened by the power she held and wished to deny."

"By blaming me for it?" Buffy asked angrily.  She was still angry that Faith had come away scot-free, whilst Buffy was being punished for an accident that she hadn't caused to happen.

"Fear causes people to do many foolish things," Dumbledore said sagely.  

Buffy sighed, knowing that it was true.  Her own fear had held her back many times, especially over the last four weeks.  She feared being given over to the Council, and so she hadn't stepped out of line at all.  

"What do you think will happen to her?" Buffy asked.  "I mean, if we ever convince the Council that I'm not guilty?  And why is it that you've believed me so easily?"

"I honestly could not tell you," Dumbledore replied.  "I'll get in touch with your Watcher this evening.  Perhaps he will come up with some ideas.  And I believe you, Miss Summers, because I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are telling the truth."

"How's that exactly?"

He reached into his pockets and brought out another lemon drop.  "Veritaserum within a lemon drop."

"Verita-what now?" she asked.

"A truth potion."

She looked at him and shook her head in confusion.  "Why now?  Why four weeks in?"

"I wanted to trust you on my own accord rather than have it earned through a spell.  You have earned that trust Miss Summers.  And the spell would only work for one question, so you need not worry about being asked anything embarrassing by your peers."

Buffy couldn't help but smile.  She could still remember his cutting words to her from their first meeting.  _Simply put Miss Summers, you are not trusted.  _She nodded gratefully and stood up, stretching her legs.  She felt far calmer than she had fifty minutes ago.  She gasped as she realised she had missed potions.

"Crap.  Snape's gonna kill me!" 

"Calm, Miss Summers, calm," Dumbledore said, holding out a hand to stop her from racing towards the castle.  "I will explain to him the situation.  You'll be excused from potions.  And if you could in future, refer to our Professors with their title in front of their surname, it would be much appreciated."

Buffy nodded sheepishly and gave him a winning smile.  "Sorry sir.  The whole 'Professor' thing is just kinda weird.  I'm getting there though."

They began walking back towards the castle, Buffy suddenly realising how far she had run earlier.  It had been a while since she'd done anything so energetic.  She absently reached a hand up to touch her necklace, smiling at the reminder of the boy who was quickly capturing her heart.  She was suddenly reminded of the request Draco had made of her.

"Professor?" she asked nervously.

He looked down at her.  "Hmm?"

"Uh…this weekend's a Hogsmeade weekend," Buffy began.  "I was wondering if maybe I could go."

He smiled at her and Buffy felt her heart lift.  

"Yes, of course you can."

She grinned at him and felt for the first time in a month as though her life was finally going to be okay again.  And strangely enough, it would all be thanks to Ethan Rayne.

---

Told ya nothing happened.  Or nothing exciting at any rate.  Anyways, mega thanks to everyone for yoru reviews!  Very very wonderful to hear from yaz!  Ooo, good news as well…I've FINALLY got a semi-idea for the sequel to 'A Murderer's Daughter' and managed to get about 20 pages written.  But, still nowhere near enough to start posting.  Sorry, but…soon.  Promise!

Toodles.

(Again, no sneak preview.  Except, it's a Scooby update!)


	25. Innocence

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: INNOCENCE

**Tuesday, 2nd March 1999**

Xander, Cordelia, Willow and Oz sat around the library table, books spread out in front of them, researching the latest demon threat around Sunnydale.  Willow had her laptop connected to the library phone line and was looking through internet sites that she shouldn't have had access to.  A month in, and the group was still sticking together, even though their strongest member had been snatched away from them.  They were subdued, but not completely desolate.

Giles exited his office at the same time Angel walked through the library doors.

"How did patrol go this evening?" Giles asked.

The vampire placed his weapons on the counter, knowing that the Watcher and the Scoobies were still slightly uncomfortable with him after his stint as Angelus, and preferred it when he was unarmed.

"Quiet," he replied.  "Whatever's happened is going to happen soon.  Whenever I do hear anything, they're always discussing the Mayor.  And something about Graduation day."

Willow looked up from her laptop and glanced at the two older Scoobies.  "His files are locked up tight.  I'm still trying to break through the firewalls they've set up.  Whatever they're hiding, they don't want anyone to find it."

"That's generally why people _hide_ stuff Wills," Xander teased.

Willow threw him an annoyed look, but couldn't help but smile at the goofy grin on his face.  

"Just keep trying," Giles said.  "If anyone can do this, it'll be you Willow.  Until then-"

He was cut off by a sudden tapping on the library doors circular window.  He stood and opened the door, startled by the owl that suddenly swooped into the library, settling on the table in front of the Scoobies.  Willow leant forward and untied the letter that was attached to the owl's leg.

"Maybe it's from Buffy," she said enthusiastically.

"You know she's not allowed to contact us Willow," Oz said gently, hating the fact that his girlfriend had been so sad lately.  

It had been hard on all of them, but on Willow especially.  Buffy had been the first person to really see Willow for who she was.  Losing that had been excruciating for the redheaded hacker turned Wiccan, and Willow was anxious for any news regarding her best friend.  Willow reluctantly handed the note over to Giles who unfolded it and read the neat hand-writing quickly.

The Scoobies all looked at him expectantly, trying to read his facial expressions.  A smile broke out onto his face and the Scoobies couldn't help but follow suit.  It had been too long since the librarian had smiled, and seeing as the note was probably in regards to the Slayer, they could only hope for good news.

"Giles?" Willow prompted.

He looked up from the note and grinned at his young friends.

"She's innocent."

------------------------

After many minutes of hugs, shouts and general jubilation, the Scoobies gathered around the note that Professor Dumbledore had sent.  It explained the events of the past four weeks, and Dumbledore's eventual use of a truth potion directly before asking about the murder.  She answered no and had explained that the event had been an accident, but it hadn't been her hand that had slain Allan Finch.  

"Now what happens?" Xander asked.  He definitely wanted Buffy back where she belonged.  Sunnydale didn't seem the same without he blonde Slayer, and not just in the slaying capacity.  She'd been sorely missed by many people.

The Scoobies had been rather shocked to see how many people missed the small blonde girl.  Many students who had never spoken to the Scoobies before had come up to them asking about her whereabouts.  Usually, they would then go on to say that Buffy had helped them or saved them, and the four friends were awed by the fact that their work had actually been noticed by the people of Sunnydale.

"Now, we must find a way to convince the Council that she was innocent," Giles explained.

"Easier said than done," Oz commented sadly.

Giles nodded his agreement.  He could only wonder exactly how much sway Quentin Travers had over the rest of the Council.  

"What about Faith's Watcher?" Cordelia suggested.  

The ex-Watcher looked at the once shallow and self-obsessed girl who was now a fully-fledged member of the Scooby gang.  After Buffy had left for England, Cordelia had re-integrated herself with the gang, and she and Xander were tentatively back together on a trial basis.  Xander was thrilled at the second chance, and had been extremely careful to not mess anything up.

"That's actually a rather good idea," Giles said.

"Don't sound so shocked," Cordelia said, feeling slightly offended.

Giles looked at her apologetically.  "Sorry Cordelia.  I meant no offence."

She couldn't help but smile at the stuffy apology.  

"Wouldn't Travers have just got someone he really trusted to be Faith's Watcher?" Willow asked.  "So that way Faith could never been proven guilty?"

"Another good point," Giles conceded.  "But even the staunchest of followers can be swayed otherwise."

Xander raised an eyebrow at the lengthy explanation.  "Couldn't you have just said 'we can bring them to the dark side'?" he teased.

Giles looked to him reprovingly.  "We are hardly what one would call the dark side Xander."

The teenage boy put his hands up in surrender and took his seat again, swinging his feet to rest on the table.  He took them down at the glare from Giles.

"So, what _do_ we do?" Willow asked, trying to get the group to focus again.

"Apart from getting Faith to confess," Angel mused, "there's not much we really _can_ do."

The group all sighed, feeling slightly deflated, despite their earlier elation.  Whilst knowing that Buffy was innocent was a load off their shoulders, proving it was another task altogether.  However, they could now at least have hope of seeing their blonde friend again.  And now, with a school of witchcraft and wizardry on their side, their task seemed infinitely easier.

-----

Short chappie.  Yay for the Scoobies.  

SNEAK PREVIEW:

Blaise and Draco confront Buffy about the boggart and what exactly it meant.  *cue dramatic music*

Toodles.


	26. Explanations

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: EXPLANATIONS

**Tuesday, 2nd March 1999**

Buffy had successfully avoided Blaise, Draco and Hermione for the remainder of the previous day.  She'd missed Potions and had skipped lunch, preferring to stay cloistered in her room.  She was just grateful that her friends had respected her need for privacy.  It had given her time to think about how she was going to explain what they'd seen.

When Tuesday morning came, she knew she couldn't hide any longer.  She dressed quickly in her uniform and made her way down to breakfast.  She didn't even make it out of the Common Room before Blaise and Draco both stopped her from leaving.  She looked at them both and smiled a little, turning back to the main area of the Common Room and sitting down on the couch.  Blaise and Draco followed suit and looked at her expectantly.

"What do you wanna know?"

"Anything," Blaise replied, slightly bitter that the most interesting person to ever join Slytherin had kept so many secrets from them.

"Everything," Draco added.

Buffy sighed and looked at him sadly.  "You know I can't tell you all of it."

"Well, whatever you can tell us," he clarified.  He looked at her, his eyes soft and pleading.  "Please?"

It was the gentle plea that got to her and she sighed, kicking off her shoes, thankful that they had a good forty minutes to themselves in the Common Room while the rest of the school was at breakfast.

"Alright.  Well, you guys saw that it was a vampire, right?" Buffy asked.

Her two friends nodded.

"Well, I guess I should start my story at the beginning.  When I was sixteen, I moved to a new town.  I met a guy, and…well, basically we fell in love."

Draco looked at her, wondering whether or not she was over this man.  Obviously, something terrible had happened and she'd been forced to kill the demon that wore his face.

"I know it's kinda hard to believe, but…he was a vampire when we met.  But he had a soul," she explained.

"A soul?" Blaise asked curiously, not quite understanding what that meant.

Buffy nodded and launched into an explanation about demons, and souls and who someone is sired.  Five minutes later, when she had explained the gypsy curse, she felt that Draco and Blaise had a strong enough grasp on the concept.

"There was a loophole in the curse.  Basically, if his soul ever stopped being tormented, even for a moment, the soul would leave the body, and the demon would be in control again," she explained.  "He had that moment, and the demon came out to play."

Blaise and Draco looked at each other before turning back to Buffy.  Draco had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew what the next part of the story was going to be.  Buffy had explained about her previous relationship, and had told him that it was as serious as two people could get.  He'd never given it much more thought.  Until now.

"How exactly did he lose his soul?" Blaise asked.

"A moment of perfect happiness," Buffy replied, tears in her eyes.  

"Which was what?" Draco asked quietly.

Buffy sighed and knew that her boyfriend had a right to know about her previous relationship.  It was hard admitting that a beautiful experience had caused carnage and mayhem after it, but Draco had a right to know.

"He and I…we made love.  And he lost his soul," Buffy admitted.

Blaise felt tears well in her own eyes at Buffy's words.  She couldn't imagine the heart-wrenching pain and guilt that it would cause.  

"Then what happened?" Blaise asked.

"Then…five months later, it came down to whether or not I was strong enough to finally kill him.  I had the upper hand, and…a friend of mine used magic to restore his soul," she explained.  "It was a little too late though, and…there's a big chunk of the story missing here, but basically he needed to die in order for the world to continue existing."

"You really killed him," Blaise whispered, remembering the horrified expression of the vampiric boggart as Buffy had shoved a sword through his gut.  Blaise had never seen anything like the intricate sword fight between Buffy and the vampire boggart.  She was still wondering how exactly Buffy could sword-fight as well as she did.  

"I did," Buffy admitted.

Draco looked at his girlfriend and felt his heart go out to her.  He couldn't imagine having to kill anyone he loved.  It was too horrifying a notion.  He moved closer to Buffy and pulled her into his arms.  Buffy clung to him tightly, a few tears leaking from her eyes.  She couldn't believe that Draco was being so accepting of this.

He was definitely staying true to his word.  Nothing was changing between them, and nothing anyone said had made him think any differently of her.  Buffy had never been more grateful in her life.

---

Short chapter, I know, but…needed to be done.

Why hadn't I updated?  Cos I'm running out of chapters.  Hehe…having problems finishing this fic.  Stioll working on it, honest.  

Ohhh, and just to be mean/nice…SNEAK PREVIEW:

"Who are you?" 

"Buffy Summers.  And you?"

"Sirius Black."

---

Toodles.


	27. Snuffles

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: SNUFFLES

**Saturday, 6th March 1999**

Buffy was completely in awe of Hogsmeade, and her two friends couldn't help but smile at Buffy's wide-eyed look as she took in the sights.  Blaise couldn't stop giggling at the awed look on Buffy's face, and Draco couldn't help but want to kiss the blonde girl for looking so damn cute in her naiveté about all things magical. 

"Where to next?" Blaise asked.

Draco was eyeing the Quidditch supply store, and the two girls could see that he was dying to go in.  They nodded towards the store and grinned as Draco practically ran towards it, stopping to look at the display broom in the mirror.  It was the newest model of broom the Thunderbolt, a step up from the Firebolt.  

"I'd die for a broom like that," Draco said, practically salivating at the idea of owning a broom like the one in the window.

They entered the store, and the trio looked around curiously, Buffy surprised by how many different models of broomsticks they had on offer.  She'd never really given much thought to it before.  Draco walked up behind her as she looked at the display of different teams uniforms and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her so that her back was against his chest.

"Some of the teams colours are kinda interesting," Buffy said with a grin, pointing at a bright pink robe.

Draco smiled and pointed to a jade green uniform that was even brighter than the pinks.  "At least they wouldn't be able to get lost in bad weather," Draco said thoughtfully.  "It makes you glad of your own house colours I suppose."

"The silver really brings out your eyes," Buffy teased.

Draco rolled his silver eyes, and pulled Buffy away from the uniforms towards the door.

"We should go before I get too tempted to buy something," he said.

Buffy and Blaise grinned at each other and walked out of the store, Draco's eye once again catching the Thunderbolt broom displayed in the window.  Buffy had to physically drag Draco away from it to keep him from going back into the store.  As soon as they reached the centre of the street, they came face to face with the Gryffindor trio.  Buffy grinned, whilst Draco and Blaise remainde strangely neutral.

Ron, Harry and Hermione looked slightly startled by the lack of sneers on Blaise and Draco's faces.  They smiled at Buffy and Harry pointed to the Quidditch store.

"See anything interesting?" Harry asked.

"Yeah.  Draco was kinda interested in the new broom.  Thunderdome or something," Buffy said.

"Thunderbolt," Ron, Harry and Draco all corrected her.

The three boys all looked at each other in shock and dismay, realising that they had all agreed with each other on something, even if it was Quidditch related.

"Well, even if he bought the broom he still wouldn't be as good as Harry," Ron said pointedly.

Buffy's smile dropped and she glared at her semi-friend.  "I guess we'll just have to wait until the game to find that one out," Buffy said confidently.

Draco fought not to shift nervously.  Whilst it was nice to have Buffy's confidence, in the four years he'd been playing Quidditch, not once had he ever won against Harry Potter.  No one had, except Cedric Diggory, and that had been through some foul-play with Dementors. 

"Anyway, we'll see you guys back at Hogwarts," Buffy said, not wanting to stay and talk any longer, knowing that the Gryffindors that she was friends with would probably never accept any other Slytherin students.  Ron still had trouble grasping the fact that even though Buffy was a Slytherin student, she was actually fairly nice.  He couldn't believe that about any of the Slytherins.

Buffy grabbed Draco's hand and walked away from Harry, Ron and Hermione.  Blaise and Draco were extremely relieved, and the Slytherin trio entered Honeydukes.  Buffy's face lit up as she saw the sheer amount of sweets that was surrounding them.  She'd had several wizarding sweets before when the other Seventh Year girls had shared with her, but she'd never really bought any for herself.

With the money that Giles had sent to her in the package she'd received the first week at Hogwarts, Buffy bought a fair supply of sweets that she would probably go through fairly quickly, particularly if she was sharing them with the others.  She was particularly fascinated by the chocolate frogs, intrigued by the fact that they actually moved.  

Twenty minutes, and many sickles later, they walked out of the sweet store in into the pub, where they found many of their fellow students seated around tables.  Draco ordered butterbeers for them all, and Buffy found herself drinking the most delicious beverage she'd ever tasted.  

Buffy looked out the window, and from the corner of her eye, she spotted movement in a large shrubbery.  She looked closer and saw two large brown eyes looking back at her.  She stifled a gasp and couldn't help but wonder who or what was watching the pub.  She stood up and put a hand on Draco's shoulder.

"I'm just going outside for a sec," she told him.

He nodded in confusion.  "You want me to come with you?"

She shook her head and kissed his cheek.  "It's okay.  I'll be back."

She walked outside, checking over her shoulder to make sure Draco and Blaise stayed seated.  Her two friends were too curious for their own good sometimes.  She casually walked towards the shrubbery, conscious of the movement of the leaves.  Whatever was in there was watching her approach and was moving backwards to avoid being seen.  Had she not been the Slayer, she wouldn't have noticed the movements of the leaves, but she was trained for this type of thing.

She looked around and saw no one watching her, and quickly ducked into the hedge, coming out into a clearing on the other side.  She stayed completely still for a moment and heard someone or something breathing quietly about four feet away from her.  She looked around casually, skimming over its hiding spot.  It was an incredibly large black dog, but Buffy could feel something different coming from it as well. 

In the last month, she'd been honing her senses as Giles had taught her.  She'd been feeling vulnerable without her strength, and had worked on strengthening her other skills, particularly her spider-sense.  She could feel magic radiating from this dog, and she knew she'd felt something similar in another animal before.

She racked her brain, trying to remember where and when.  The answer hit her quickly.  Two weeks ago, during a Transfiguration lesson.  Professor McGonagal had shown Buffy her Animagus form after class one day, and Buffy had been intrigued by the notion of being able to transform into and out of animal form.  Whoever this dog was, it was definitely an animagus.

"Show yourself," Buffy demanded quietly.

The dog stiffened and tried to quiet it's breathing.  Buffy looked directly at the dog and spoke again.

"I know you're a human.  C'mon, show yourself."

The dog stepped forward and looked up at Buffy, as though he was trying to gauge what sort a threat she could be to it.  She held up her hands in a sign of peace, showing she neither had her wand in her hand, nor a weapon.  The dog tilted it's head to the side thoughtfully before finally transforming in front of her.

She regarded the man curiously, trying to work out if he was evil or not.  He didn't look particularly threatening, and his eyes told of a deep sadness that Buffy didn't know how to explain.

"Hi," she finally said.

"I've never met a witch or wizard as young as you who could feel that I was more than an animal," he said, without even bothering to greet her.

She grinned at him and shrugged.  "It's a gift."

"You're not British," he commented.

She shook her head.  "Nope.  Thank god.  I'm an American, born and raised."

"You are a student though, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yep.  Seventh year."

"What house?"

"Slytherin," she replied.

His eyes narrowed immediately and Buffy just rolled her eyes before glaring at him, her hands on her hips.

"What is it with you people?  God, if I'd said Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, you wouldn't have thought anything of it," Buffy ranted angrily.

He looked at her and couldn't help but smile.  She made quite the picture, small, blonde, her hands on her hips and a good foot shorter than he himself was. 

"Who are you?" he asked curiously.

Her anger deflated and she held her hand out to him.  "Buffy Summers," she replied.  "And you?"

"Sirius Black," he answered, expecting her to recoil in shock and horror.  Even though he'd been cleared of all charges, his name still made people incredibly nervous.  Her only reaction was to look at him with curiousity.

"Sirius…you're Harry's godfather, aren't you?"

He nodded, obviously impressed by her extra knowledge.  Most people who heard his name still accused him of being a murderer.  Obviously this girl knew Harry or else, she probably would have done the same thing.

"You're a friend of his then?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, sort of.  I've only really known him for a couple of weeks.  He's nice though," Buffy said.  

"I've never met a Slytherin who actually liked Harry Potter," Sirius commented.

Buffy sighed and sat down on a large rock.  Sirius sat opposite her, uncomfortable with looking down at the girl.

"Y'know everyone goes on and on about what houses people are in, but no one ever looks beyond that.  You hear the word Slytherin and you judge them based on that.  I never knew people could be such bigots."

Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing.  The tired and sad tone in her voice however, made him feel like a complete prat.  He felt properly chastised and couldn't help but wonder whether or not this girl was right.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

She shook her head and smiled at him.  "It's okay.  It's just kinda my pet peeve at the moment.  I take it you were a student at Hogwarts too?"

He nodded.  "Gryffindor class of '75."

"Hey cool.  I know someone from Gryffindor '74," she said.

"Really?  Who?"

"Rupert Giles," Buffy replied.

Sirius' eyes lit up with excitement.  There was a name he hadn't heard in years.  

"You know Ripper?" he asked.  "What's the old bastard up to these days?"

Buffy couldn't help but laugh at Sirius' description of her Watcher.  She couldn't help but wonder whether or not Giles had skipped some of the details about his Ripper days if someone from Hogwarts was calling him by that particular moniker.

"He's working in California," Buffy replied.  "He's the librarian at my old high school."

Sirius look at her confused.  "Librarian…but…he was training to be a Watcher."

"How do you know that?" Buffy asked.

"We were friends.  We played Quidditch together for years."

"Giles played Quidditch?" she asked with a laugh. 

Somehow she just couldn't imagine her Watcher playing Quidditch.  She tried to imagine the tweed-clad librarian on a broomstick, and the image she conjured up only caused copious amounts of laughter.  

"He was good.  So…do you know if he ever became one?" Sirius asked.

"A Watcher, you mean?  Yeah, he did," Buffy replied.

Sirius grinned.  "Bloody brilliant.  I always wanted to meet a Slayer.  Did you ever meet her?"

Buffy smiled and nodded.  "Yeah.  We were close."

"Were?" Sirius asked sadly, obviously thinking that the use of the past-tense meant that the Slayer was dead.

"Oh, I just mean before I came to England," Buffy added.

Sirius smiled again and couldn't help but envy his old friend.  

"He enjoys it, yes?" 

Buffy nodded, fairly certain that Giles didn't mind too much being her Watcher.  She knew that at times it was particularly trying, especially the entire problem with Angelus, but on the whole, Buffy was fairly certain that Giles was where he wanted to be.  He hadn't left after he'd been fired, and to the best of Buffy's knowledge, he hadn't left when Buffy had been removed to England either.  He was there by choice, with or without a Slayer, and she had to respect him for that.  She missed him.

"Yeah, I think he does."

There was a sudden rustling in the bushes, and Sirius quickly transformed himself back into animagus form.  Buffy turned and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione all enter the clearing, the three of them looking at her suspiciously.  Sirius transformed back again and stood up to hug his godson.

Hermione took a seat beside Buffy and looked at her for an explanation.  

"Me and Sirius here were just getting acquainted," she explained.

"Turns out Buffy knows one of my old school friends," Sirius said, grinning as he, Harry and Ron all took seats opposite the girls.  "Ripper Giles.  The bloke went off to Watcher school and forgot all about us."

"Watcher school?" Ron repeated.

Hermione's eyes widened.  "Watchers?  As in, a Slayer's guardian?"

Sirius nodded and Hermione looked at the Slytherin girl curiously.

"You know a Watcher?" Hermione asked.

Buffy nodded, hoping that Hermione wasn't about to ask if Buffy was a Slayer.  She was really horrible at lying, and she hated doing it.

"So…Slayers really do exist then," the Gryffindor girl said.

Sirius nodded enthusiastically.  "What I wouldn't give to meet her.  So, if Ripper's in California, that must be where the Slayer is, right?"

Buffy nodded.  _One of them at least_.  "Somewhere in California as far as I know.  Unless she got moved to another state without me knowing."

The Gryffindor trio looked at her with excitement.  "You've met a Slayer?" Ron asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Two of them," she replied.  _Three including me…_

"Wicked!" Ron exclaimed.  "Two Slayers…god you're lucky."

"Both of them were Ripper's?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Just one," Buffy replied.  "The other one was only there to help out.  We have a bit of a vampire problem in my town."

"So, that explains why that boggart turned into a vampire," Hermione mused.  

Buffy had nearly forgotten about that particular experience.  After she'd cleared everything up with Blaise and Draco, they hadn't really spoken about it again.  She knew they still had questions that they wanted answered, but until she could openly admit to being the Slayer, she couldn't reveal too much of her past.

"Yeah, they pretty much creep me out," Buffy said.  

"Wait, what boggart?" Ron asked.

"Oh, there was a boggart in the DADA classroom on Monday.  It picked Buffy and turned into a vampire.  And I have to say, you're an excellent sword-fighter," Hermione said.

Buffy smiled, wincing slightly.  She had been hoping that Hermione wouldn't bring that topic up, especially not in front of Harry and Ron.  The two boys looked at her with new eyes.

"Sword-fighting?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded.  "The boggart handed her a sword, and they fought.  Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Giles taught me," Buffy admitted.  "He's a good teacher."

Hermione nodded.  "Did you ever spar with the Slayer?"

"Yeah.  A couple of times."  _Had some proper fights with her too_.

"Is she as strong as everyone says?" Ron asked curiously.

Buffy nodded.  It had been interesting reading up on the Slayer from the perspective of wizards.  They regarded the Slayer as something of an icon, and were fascinated by the strength of the 'one girl in all the world chosen to hunt the vampires'.

"Yeah.  She's not invincible or anything, but…she's pretty strong."

"Wicked," Ron said again.

Hermione looked at Buffy, and the Slayer tried not to squirm uncomfortably.  Buffy knew that Hermione was not an unintelligent person.  In fact, Buffy was fairly certain that Hermione was the smartest student in all of Hogwarts.  If that was to be believed, then Buffy knew that the Gryffindor girl was probably fast piecing together what she knew of Buffy.  It would only be a matter of time before she worked out who and what Buffy really was.

Buffy stood before Hermione could ask her anything specific.

"I should probably be getting back.  Draco's probably worrying," Buffy said.

Ron rolled his eyes and Sirius looked at the girl curiously.  "Draco?  Draco Malfoy?"

Buffy nodded.  "Yeah."

"You two are…"

"Dating?" Buffy supplied.  "Yeah."

Sirius shook his head in bewilderment.  The most down-to-earth Slytherin person that he'd ever met was dating the son of Lucius Malfoy.  He couldn't quite believe it.

"It was nice meeting you Sirius," Buffy said politely as she made her way back to the break in the shrubbery.  "I'll tell Giles you said hi when I talk to him next."

Sirius nodded and waved at the girl as she left the three Gryffindor students alone with the ex-convict.  "She is the strangest Slytherin I've ever met."

----

Ooo, a LONG chapter. How exciting!  (yeah I'm insane, it's all good)  Ugh, I've spent the last nine hours at a 'writing retreat' for uni.  From 9am to 6pm on a bloody SATURDAY!!!  How unfair is that.  And it was fricken compulsory!!  RAH!  Anyways, much thanks for all your reviews!!

Anyways…I'm glad you _like_ the sneak previews.  *evil grin* 

Coming up: Buffy has a chat with two of her least favourite professors.  

Toodles.

(Ooo, and Kristal, you're a legend, I love ur feedback, but you've got no hope of the sequel to AMD coming out any time soon.  I swear It's being written, but I'm still struggling through getting this one finished…)


	28. Apologies

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: APOLOGIES

**Monday, 8th March 1999**

It had been a week since Ethan's boggart stunt, and still the DADA Professor hadn't said anything to Buffy about it.  She'd been expecting some sort of sneering comment, something about how weak she was that she hadn't been able to defeat a single vampire, but nothing had come.  When he pulled her aside on the Monday after the DADA lesson, she'd been expecting the worst.  

"What do you want Ethan?" Buffy asked, not particularly wanting to deal with him at that moment.  It was the first week that she hadn't been injected with anything.  Even though Dumbledore had said that she was to have another week's worth of half-injections, when she'd arrived at Dumbledore's office that morning, he'd told her that an innocent person had no need to be held back.  She'd grinned at him and dashed down to breakfast.

She didn't want Ethan ruining what had started as a fairly good day.

"I want to apologise," he said quietly.

She stared at him in shock.  She shook her head, as though trying to get her ears and brain to work in sync with each other.  "I'm sorry, I could have sworn you just said you wanted to apologise to me."

He fidgeted nervously and nodded.  "I did say that."

She narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously.  "Okay, what's the joke?"

"No joke," he replied sincerely.  "That boggart…well, I went too far."

She nodded, agreeing with him completely.  She couldn't help but wonder where this complete turnabout had come from. She remembered that Dumbledore had been planning to 'have words with' Ethan, and she couldn't help but wonder what the Headmaster had told him.

"Yeah, you really did."

"And, I'm sorry," he apologised.

She looked at him, trying to gage if he was sincere of not.  He looked to be genuinely regretful about what he'd done, so she nodded and stuck her hand out to him.

"Truce?"

He nodded and shook hands with her.  "Truce."

"Good.  Cos honestly, I'd run out of things to throw back at you," she said.

He couldn't help but laugh, reminded keenly of the mischief that had always run deep within Ripper when he'd been younger.  

"You really do remind me of Ripper," he said thoughtfully.

"I guess it's hard to hang out with someone and have them not affect you," she explained.

He nodded and knew that it was true.  This was his first year of teaching at Hogwarts, and he'd been thrilled by the offer of the position.  It had come as a shock, and he'd asked Professor Dumbledore why he would ever offer the position to him of all people.  

Dumbledore had explained that everyone deserves a second chance, and if Ethan wanted one, Hogwarts was willing to offer him a home in order to take that chance.  He'd accepted after several days deliberation and hadn't looked back.  The former chaos worshipper had renounced his allegiance to Janus, God of Chaos and had settled into his position as the newest Hogwarts Professor.

He enjoyed working with the children, but he still had a mischievous streak a mile wide that had been begging to be brought out.  And when Buffy Summers had been brought to Hogwarts, for disciplinary measures, he'd jumped at the chance to make her life even more miserable.  He'd never really thought about the fact that it would jeopardise his position as a Professor though.

"Well, you couldn't ask for a better person to be rubbing off on you," Ethan said.  "Ripper's a good bloke."

Buffy smiled, and couldn't help but wonder just what type of a friendship Ethan and Giles had had in their younger days.  

"That he is.  But he's not Ripper anymore," she said.  "He's Giles."

"Tweed-clad Watcher turned librarian?" Ethan asked smirking.  "He's more than that, and you know it."

"I do.  But he's not the same man that you knew."

"I know," Ethan replied sadly.  He missed the days when he had no responsibilities, no worries about anything more than the magics and the drugs that they used.  "He turned out alright."

Buffy smiled and looked at him with a strange softness in her eyes.

"It looks like you turned out alright too Ethan," Buffy pointed out.  "Not many people are trusted by Dumbledore, and if he trusts you to teach at Hogwarts, then you must be doing something right."

He gave her a half-smile before she turned and walked away.

------------------------

The Monday potions lesson dragged on for a seemingly endless amount of time.  Every single Gryffindor and Slytherin student agreed that it was possibly one of the most boring lessons that they'd ever had to attend.  When they were finally dismissed, they'd never been happier.  Of course, Buffy's luck only extended so far, and Professor Snape called out for her in a request for a few minutes of her time.

She sighed and waited until the classroom had been completely vacated.  She knew that Blaise and Draco were waiting for her outside the classroom as always.

"Professor Dumbledore has informed me that you were proven innocent," Snape said.  

Buffy tried to read into the tone of his voice, but she'd never been able to detect anything but sheer coldness from the Potions Master.  She was fairly certain that the man in front of her had been severely neglected as a child and had turned out to be cranky because of his upbringing.  She just nodded and waited for him to continue.

"It changes nothing Miss Summers.  I still do not trust you.  Trust has to be earned in my books, and you have done nothing to warrant that," he told her.

She wasn't certain why she wanted his trust so much, but the knowledge that he was so adamant about not trusting her hurt.

"Tell me how to earn it then," Buffy said calmly.

He looked at her in shock.  He hadn't been expecting her to say anything back to him.  She'd always seemed to be somewhat meek, a character trait that he'd thought unusual in a Vampire Slayer, but then again, he'd held her entire future in his hands.

"Pardon?"

"You don't trust me, you say I have to earn it.  So…tell me how to earn it," she replied.

He looked at her blankly, unsure of what to say.  He hadn't been expecting the question, and he definitely hadn't been prepared to give her an answer.  He coughed, uncomfortable at being caught off-guard.

"I'll get back to you."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead she just nodded politely and gathered her books, leaving the classroom to catch up with her two friends.  Draco greeted her with a kiss and a look of concern.

"Everything alright?"

"Peachy," she replied.

He looked at her closely and Buffy caved.  She sighed and melted into his embrace.  "He still doesn't trust me."

"What?  But Dumbledore knows you didn't kill anyone," Draco protested.

Buffy sighed.  She'd sat down and explained everything (excluding the Slayer portion of the tale) to Blaise and Draco, who had taken everything rather well.  What they didn't understand was why she'd been sent to a magical school when she was clearly a muggle, and also why she'd been sorted into Slytherin when she wasn't a pureblood.  She couldn't answer either of those questions, and that whilst the two Slytherins were annoyed at the lack of answers, they respected that Buffy couldn't tell them everything about her.

In many ways, it made them like her more.  Mysterious people always were far more interesting.

They began making their way to the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts, walking slowly as they continued their conversation.

"Yeah I know.  But Snape doesn't seem to be able to grasp the concept of innocent after being proven innocent," Buffy said.  She couldn't believe that she was so upset about it, even though she didn't particularly like Snape.  She just hated the fact that he had no real reason for distrusting her so vehemently.  "Anyway, I asked him how I could earn his trust.  He didn't have an answer for me."

Draco and Blaise rolled their eyes simultaneously.  "That'd be right," Blaise said, almost able to feel Buffy's frustration at the situation.  "He's even more self-righteous then Malfoy used to be."

"Hey!" 

Buffy chuckled and kissed her boyfriends cheek comfortingly.

"I gotta jet you guys.  I've got a study session with Hermione in the library, so I'll see you guys back in the Common Room," she said.

Blaise nodded and waved goodbye, leaving Buffy and Draco alone in the Entrance Hall.  Draco sighed and wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist, kissing her forehead softly.

"So if Dumbledore knows you're innocent, why's he still making you study with that Gryffindor girl?" Draco asked.

Buffy glared at him and pulled back.  

"Studying with Hermione isn't a punishment," she said scowling.  "She's a friend.  And if you gave her half a chance, you'd probably end up liking her."

Draco scoffed but didn't push, knowing that Buffy was fairly sensitive when it came to her friendships with people from other houses.  He tilted his head lower and kissed her deeply, hoping to get her mind away from the beginnings of a fight.  Buffy knew what he was doing, but she didn't feel like fighting with him in any case.  

She smiled and sighed into the kiss, happy to lose herself in the feeling that Draco evoked in her.  She couldn't help but wonder what would happen when the Council was finally convinced of her innocence.  As much as she wanted to go home, she was almost perfectly content to stay at Hogwarts and explore her budding romance with Draco.  She sighed again and almost hoped that the Council would take their time being convinced.

---

Sorry for the updating delay!  

Ooo, and…(shameless plug) for those of you aspiring HP fanfic writers, go and check out my Harry Potter Quick Reference Quide.  I was terribly bored one day and complied an online database of nearly everything you'll ever have to know about Harry Potter.  It can be accessed through the Harry Potter section on my website (addy on my ff.net user page)

Toodles.


	29. More Letters

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: MORE LETTERS

**Wednesday, 10th March 1999**

For some strange and unknown reason, the library was unusually loud, and both Buffy and Hermione were having trouble concentrating on the textbook in front of them.  Hermione sighed with frustration.  They weren't getting anything done.

"You wanna head somewhere quieter?" Buffy asked.

Hermione nodded, trying to think of a suitable location for their studies.  Anywhere they went would probably be just as noisy.  

"Any suggestions?" Hermione asked.

Buffy thought about it for a moment before coming up with the most private place she could think of.

"We could go back to my room.  It's just me in there, no one else," she offered.

Hermione looked intrigued at the thought of a single room.  She nodded, curious about the Slytherin Common Room as well as Buffy's room.  She'd only heard second hand reports from Ron and Harry about what the Slytherin Common Room was like, and she wanted to see it for herself.

The girls made their way out of the library and down towards the dungeons were the Slytherins dorms were.  "Promise you won't tell anyone the password?" Buffy asked in mock-seriousness.

Hermione just grinned.  "Don't worry.  You're secret's safe with me."

Buffy shrugged.  "Pure-blood."

Hermione scoffed as the door in the wall opened, and they were led through a corridor and into the Common Room.  Hermione stared around in fascination, taking in the darkened room.  It was the same size as the Gryffindor Common Room, but it didn't have the same warmth that they had.  It was cold and dark, and even though the fire was going, Hermione still felt slightly chilled.  She shivered and wrapped her cloak closer to her body.

"Yeah, it's kinda freezing down here," Buffy said with a chuckle.

They made their way to the girl's rooms, stopping at the last room in the corridor.  Buffy opened the door and gestured for Hermione to enter.  The Gryffindor girl looked around in awe, jealous of the private sanctuary that Buffy had in the single room.

"Wow…this place is amazing."

Buffy grinned and walked towards the bed, kicking her shoes off before sitting cross-legged on the mattress.

"I didn't like being by myself at first, but after hearing the complaints about snoring and dirty socks, I'm kinda glad that I'm not in with anyone else," Buffy admitted.

Hermione wandered over to Buffy's training section, and the Slayer winced.  She'd forgotten how curious Hermione had become in regards to the Slayer topic.

"What's with the punching bag?" she asked.

Buffy shrugged nonchalantly and began spreading their books out on the bed.

"I like to work out.  Just to stay in shape, y'know."

Hermione nodded, the wheels in her head turning.  She'd been thinking about Buffy and where she fit in at Hogwarts for a long time.  She'd become especially curious since Sirius had explained that his old Hogwarts friend had become a Watcher whom Buffy knew.  The only loophole in Hermione's theory was that Buffy had said that she'd known two other Slayers, and that the current one was in California.

"What's her name?" Hermione wondered, startled to realise that she'd spoken out loud.

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"The Slayer," Hermione clarified.  "What's her name?"

Buffy's eyes darkened a little.  "Faith."

Hermione tried to read Buffy's expression, but found herself slightly disturbed by what she was seeing.  It was the same look that Buffy had had in her eyes before she'd shoved the sword through the vampiric boggart the week before.

"You two didn't get along I take it," she surmised.

Buffy shrugged and forced herself to relax.  Hermione noticed the difference immediately, and if she hadn't seen the angry flash earlier, she wouldn't have thought anything of Buffy's reaction.

"We weren't the best of friends, no.  But…sometimes we were friends."

"What about the other one?  You said you'd known two Slayers."

"Yeah.  Kendra," Buffy said sadly.  "She was killed, what…two years ago now.  She wasn't exactly a people person y'know.  Slayers, they're usually brought up pretty strictly.  No contact with their family, or with friends, so…her people skills kinda…well, sucked to be perfectly honest.  But she loosened up after a while.  I really wish she hadn't died."

Hermione moved towards the bed and took a seat on the corner, looking over the books, ready to get back into studying.  Before she could settle herself completely, a tapping at the window startled both of the girls.  Buffy stood and moved to the window, opening it, surprised by the large owl that flew into her room, a small brown package attached to its leg.  

She untied the package, petted the owl and closed the window when the owl flew away.  

"You mind if I open this now?" Buffy asked.

Hermione shrugged and gestured for her to go ahead.  Buffy settled herself back down on the bed and ripped the package open.  Several letters fell out as well as Kendra's lucky stake, Mr Pointy.  She grinned as she picked up the weapon, forgetting that Hermione was staring at her curiously.

"Is that a stake?" the Gryffindor girl asked.

Buffy looked up and then paled considerably.  She didn't know how she was supposed to explain that one.  Attached to it was a note with Willow's handwriting on it.

'We figured you could probably use a weapon, and what better weapon for the true Slayer than Kendra's and your lucky stake.  Luv, the Scoobies.'

She peeled off the note and quickly folded it, placing it aside.  She handed the weapon to Hermione who took it with great care.  She studied it carefully before handing it back to Buffy.

"It is, isn't it?"

Buffy nodded.  "Where I come from…we face a lot of bad things.  Vampires being some of them.  It's kind of an in joke…always be prepared.  Scout and Scooby motto."

"There's something you're not telling me," Hermione said, looking the Slayer directly in the eyes.

Buffy looked back at her unflinchingly.  Merrick and Giles had schooled her in the art of keeping calm even when you were seriously uncomfortable with a situation, and she'd perfected it over the years.

"There's a lot of things that I'm not telling a lot of people," she replied easily.

Hermione paused before finally nodding.  "At least you're innocent.  That's something."

Buffy grinned happily.  "Makes my life far simpler," she agreed.

"You know, if I wasn't extremely sure that you weren't lying about the Slayer being in California, I would have thought that _you_ were a Slayer," Hermione said.

Buffy forced herself to laugh.  "Where would you get that idea?"

"Well…you know a Watcher, you can sword fight.  You killed a vampire, even if it was just a boggart.  You've met other Slayers, and you're friends sent you a stake as a gift," Hermione said.  "It all adds up."

"Well, I can guarantee you that Faith is out there somewhere with her Watcher, doing the Slayer thing," Buffy said, thankful that she at least didn't have to lie about that.  "Plus, you know how it goes 'one girl in all the world'.  Can't argue with that."

"Can I ask…Dumbledore said that you were innocent, so…and don't take this the wrong way or anything, but why aren't you going home?" Hermione asked curiously.

Buffy shrugged.  "It's complicated."

"Because of Malfoy?"

"There's that.  There's other stuff too."

"Like that?"

"That's the complicated part," Buffy replied.  "Honestly, I'd tell you if I could, but the bigwigs don't want me saying anything, so…their wish is my command."

Buffy rummaged through the spread of letters on her bed, not wanting Hermione to ask her anything else.  Hermione seemed to get the message, and Buffy just smiled as she took in the familiar handwriting of the gang.  Her mom, Giles, Angel, Willow, Xander, even short notes from Oz and Cordelia.  She flipped open the one from Giles and read it quickly, knowing that his would be the one to tell her the most useful information.

_Buffy,_

_Dumbledore has been in contact with us and has told us the wonderful news.  We were all truly heartened to hear that you've been proven innocent.  The only trouble now is convincing the Council of it.  Fear not, we will have you home safe and sound as soon as we can.  _

_Fondly,_

_Giles_.

She grinned, thankful that the Gang finally believed her innocence.  She put the other letters to the side, and looked back at Hermione, ready to study.

"Should we get back into it?"

Hermione nodded and hunched over one of the books on the bed, settling herself in for several hours of undisturbed studying.

-----

Mega thanks for all the reviews!!  Very glad you guys are still liking this fic.  

SNEAK PREVIEW:  _Pansy finally tries to exact her revenge.  _

Toodles.


	30. Practice

CHAPTER THIRTY: PRACTICE 

**Thursday, 11th March 1999 **

Blaise and Buffy sat in the stands surrounding the Quidditch Pitch, huddled together beneath their cloaks, sitting extremely close so they wouldn't freeze to death in the cooling afternoon air.  They were seated at the far end of the field, behind one of the sets of goals.

"How are they not completely freezing out there?" Buffy asked.

"Layers," Blaise replied with a grin.  "Besides, they heat up after flying around for a bit."

Buffy nodded and watched with great curiousity as Draco instructed the team in their warm-ups.  They'd flown two laps around the pitch before they'd split into two sections, facing off with each other, practising ball skills whilst stationary.  

"Have you ever played Quidditch?" Buffy asked.

Blaise shook her head emphatically.  "Oh no, not me.  I don't like heights."

"Uh, we're up pretty high right now, you do know this right?"

Blaise smirked and nodded.  "Yes, but we're on a far more stable place than they are on their brooms," she reminded her friend.  "Have you ever flown one of those things?"

Buffy nodded, remembering her flying lesson with Draco from the other week.  He'd taken her out again, only she'd flown without him on her broom, and she'd been exhilarated for every second of it.  The adrenaline rush was exhilarating, particularly for a Slayer who'd been inactive for so long.

"I loved it," Buffy said simply.

"Well, to each their own I suppose."

The Slytherin Quidditch team began moving through ball skill drills whilst flying around the pitch.  Buffy had her eyes mainly on Draco, loving the way she could watch him and not be told off for it by a Professor.  It didn't hurt that he looked particularly gorgeous in his Quidditch uniform as well.  Her attention was drawn away from Draco as Pansy Parkinson, the only other Seventh Year player, fumbled the ball.

Blaise and Buffy looked at each other, smirking.

"How the hell did she get on the Quidditch team when she can't even catch the waffle ball?"

"Quaffle ball," Blaise corrected her, laughing at Buffy's lack of memory.  Blaise was always amused by the way Buffy massacred the names of anything she couldn't remember.  "And I don't know how she managed to get on the team.  It may have involved some sort of bribery with the Captain before Draco."

"Well, if Drake's the captain, can't he, y'know…kick her off the team?" Buffy asked.

Blaise shrugged, not really knowing how it all worked.  "He probably could, but…I don't think he could handle the whining once he did it."

Buffy grinned and shook her head, turning her attention back to the practice, which had moved slightly closer to where she and Blaise were sitting.  "Good point."

Pansy threw the Quaffle towards the centre ring, but it was deflected by the Slytherin Keeper, a Fifth-Year player by the name of Noah Jackson.  Noah threw the ball to another Chaser, Sixth-Year Clayton Banks.  The chasers continued passing back and forth as they practised dodging the Bludgers that the two Beaters Andrew Keating and Blake Daniels were sending in their directions.

Draco was overseeing each of the different plays, shouting out directions and suggestions that neither Buffy nor Blaise could really understand.  Buffy's eyes were drawn away from Draco and towards Pansy once more as she saw Pansy reach into her Quidditch robes for something.  She squinted and saw that Pansy had reached for her wand.  She knew very little about Quidditch, but she was fairly certain that magic wasn't allowed.

"I thought you weren't allowed to use your wand during a game," Buffy commented, pointing to Pansy.

Blaise looked and narrowed her eyes angrily.  "You aren't."

Draco seemed to notice that Pansy's wand had come out as well.  He flew towards her, shouting as he did.

"Parkinson, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Pansy ignored him and aimed her wand.  Buffy followed her line of sight and saw a Bludger travelling towards Pansy.  She shouted something unintelligible, and before anyone could stop her, the Bludger redirected itself, heading directly towards the Slytherin stand holding their audience of two.  Buffy caught Pansy's eyes and saw a smug smirk planted on her face.

Blaise quickly jumped out of the way, screaming Buffy's name to try and get her to do the same.  Instead, Buffy stood her ground and caught the bludger with one hand with barely a half an inch between the Bludger and her face.   Again, Buffy just looked at Pansy.  Instead of the sneer, she saw complete and utter shock.  Buffy just grinned and lowered the ball that she could feel struggling against her strength.  The Slayer had no problems holding it back, making sure it barely even moved in her hand.

The Slytherin team had frozen in their spots, looking at Buffy who was calmly holding the oddly quiet Bludger.  Blaise stood up and moved across to Buffy, touching the Bludger hesitantly as though to check that it was real.  

"How the hell did you just catch that?" Blaise asked in awe.  "And why aren't you pitching it back at the bitch?"

Buffy didn't look away from Pansy as she answered Blaise's question.

"Because…then I'd be sinking down to her level."

Buffy tossed the ball over the heads of all the Players, sending it all the way down to the other end of the field, and through the centre hoop.  It flew another thirty feet before finally being able to redirect itself and head back towards the Quidditch Pitch.  The Slytherins looked on in shock.  Buffy just turned away calmly and began making her way down the stairs.  Blaise was quick to follow her.

The Slytherin Team all looked at each other in shock, unsure of what had just happened.  By the time the shock had worn off, the Bludger had finally reached the team once again.  Andrew hit it with his bat, sending it flying again.

Draco looked to where his girlfriend had just been sitting, his heart still pounding rapidly.  Buffy had nearly been killed, and he hadn't been able to do anything about it.  He couldn't believe that Buffy had just caught a speeding Bludger, without even struggling with it.  Not even the Professional referees could catch Bludgers without being severely winded, and then having to struggle with the ball.

Not to mention how far she'd thrown the Bludger.  The Beaters could bat it away, usually only able to redirect it twenty feet before it could swing back around.  Buffy had thrown the ball, one-handed, to the other side of the pitch, managed to score a goal, and the Bludger had kept going for another half-length of a Quidditch Pitch before coming back.  

He shook his head in disbelief, wanting answers desperately, but knowing he still wouldn't get any, even if he asked.  He looked at his team members, sparing a moment to glare with hatred at Pansy.  

"Let's get back to it."

------------------------

"You do realise she was trying to kill you right?" Blaise asked, struggling to keep up with the fast pace that buffy was setting.

It wasn't as though the Slayer was trying to avoid talking to her friend, it was that Blaise would have questions that Buffy couldn't answer.  She also wanted to get as far away from the Quidditch Pitch as possible.  Somehow, she'd never really thought that Pansy would make good on any of her threats.  She also couldn't believe that the other Slytherin girl had been stupid enough to attack her in front of so many other people, especially people she had met over the course of the last few weeks who actually seemed to like her.

"It wouldn't have killed me," Buffy replied.  "It mighta done some serious head injury, but I doubt it would have killed me."

"With a spell behind it, as well as the usual punch those Bludgers give, it very well might have," Blaise told her.

"Well, it probably wasn't her objective.  She was either trying to scare me, or make my nose as flat as hers," she quipped.

Blaise couldn't help but laugh.  She couldn't believe how calm her friend was being.  Blaise's heart was still racing, and it hadn't even been directed at her.  

"I can't believe she would actually do something like that.  She's still jealous.  You and Malfoy have been together for weeks."

"A month on Saturday," Buffy said happily.

"A month in, and she _still _won't accept that she's got no shot with him," Blaise said with disgust.

"I get the feeling that Pansy won't be happy until he's hers, and according to Draco, he wants that to happen even less than I do," Buffy said.

Blaise sighed and they made their way into the castle, heading back to their Common Room.

"I wonder what it'll take to get her to back off," Blaise mused.

Buffy just shrugged and shook her head.  Nothing short of a miracle would get Pansy to stay away from her, and Buffy knew that miracles came in very short supply.

-----

Ooo, an update.  Many thanks for all your reviews!  There's like over 600!! Colour me completely thrilled!  As for the sequel to A Murderer's Daughter…I finally decided on a plot line that I liked.  I've written 60 odd pages, so it IS coming soon.  (How about I put up the first chapter when LISETTE bloody updates!! *grins*  There you go, go and bug her now.)

And just cos I'm horribly mean, here's a sneak preview of one of the chapters in the sequel for AMD:

Dumbledore gave her a wry smile and inclined his head.  "Consider it from this angle: your slaying powers were never really yours to begin with.  It is something that you were given in order to aid you in learning the difference between good and evil.  And now that you have firmly established what those differences are, returning the power that you were given should not be a problem."

*grins* Later!


	31. Fulfilled

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: FULFILLED

**Sunday, 14th March 1999**

The weekend came and went far too quickly for most of the students liking, and by the time Sunday dinner rolled around, most of the students were willing to beg for classes to be cancelled for the next day.  Buffy had been fending off curious glances and incredulous looks all weekend, after the rumour of her Bludger catching had spread throughout Slytherin.  She was just lucky that the Slytherins weren't known for sharing their secrets with other houses, otherwise the entire school would have known.  

"Where'd the weekend go?" Draco complained from his seat beside Buffy.  

Over the last month, he'd learnt to eat one-handed so that his other hand could rest on Buffy's waist, either tickling her slightly or gently caressing her hip, either of the two making her completely crazy.  He loved making her squirm, but she knew how to retaliate.  Her hand was placed on his thigh, drawing random patterns with a feather light touch that drove him wild.

"Ugh, I know," Blaise agreed, groaning at the thought of another weekend being waster.  "Why does tomorrow hafta be Monday?"

Buffy grinned and looked at her friend.  "Well, traditionally, it's because Monday is the day that comes after Sunday."

Blaise rolled her eyes and swatted Buffy's arm.  "That was rhetorical smartarse."

"The weekends do seem to be getting shorter," Claire McNair commented from her position on the other side of the table.

"Maybe that's just because the Professors seem to be giving us more homework," Keeta contributed.

"Or maybe," Pansy said bitterly, "it's because you do nothing but complain about everything."

The group rolled their eyes, unable to believe that they'd ever revered Pansy Parkinson as though she was a goddess of some sort.  Ever since they'd begun tuning her out, their lives had become far better.  Pansy, however, was seething.  Her stunt on the Quidditch Pitch had alienated her almost entirely.  None of her 'friends' had saved her a seat at dinner, and she'd been forced to sit at the very end of the bench, entirely too far away from Draco for her liking.

"Well, at least first class tomorrow isn't entirely horrible," Buffy said.  "As far as first classes on a Monday go, DADA is alright."

"As opposed to, say…Divination?" Draco teased.

Buffy rolled her eyes.  Six weeks in, and Professor Trelawney still liked to remind Buffy that she was going to die, and soon.  She could understand why Harry had become sick of it very quickly.

"There's only so many times I can hear of my death being predicted before it starts getting old," Buffy said dryly.

"It makes you wonder whether that woman's ever had a real premonition in her life," Keeta commented.

Buffy looked up, suddenly remembering the ominous warning that she had received from Trelawney that she'd been fairly certain was real.  She'd been meaning to keep her eye on her calendar, but with everything that had happened recently, and the sudden cult-following she'd received from the younger Slytherin students, particularly the awed boys, she hadn't given it another thought.

As though by sheer thought of the prediction, Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, her spider-senses tingling with the familiar presence of what Buffy was certain was a group of vampire's.  She hadn't felt this feeling since leaving Sunnydale, and feeling it again, she was certain she was right.  She took her hand from Draco's leg and quickly pulled out the stake hidden in the back of her jeans.  She hid it quickly in the sleeve of her coat and looked around the room, waiting for something to happen.

The doors burst open and Buffy stood on instinct.  No one noticed though, because half of the other students stood at the same time.  Fifteen vampires, all in game face strode into the room, sending the students rushing in the opposite direction.  The vampires, however made no move to attack.

Someone clapped frivolously and Buffy looked at the vampire that suddenly moved to the front of the group.  She held back a groan as the very familiar vampire Drusilla scanned the crowd.

"Where is she?" Drusilla asked.  Buffy was almost startled by the nearly sane tone in her voice.

Buffy stepped over the bench and moved towards the group of vampires, somehow avoiding the mass rush of students fleeing.  Draco tried to grab her wrist to keep her from going towards them, but he was caught up by the other students rushing to get away.  

"What do you want Dru?" Buffy asked.

Drusilla giggled and pointed one long finger at Buffy.

"You…you ruined my happy home."

"Yeah, that was a real tragedy," Buffy replied sarcastically.  A thought suddenly occurred to her.  "How did you get in here?"

"No one lives in this part of the castle," Drusilla replied, swaying slightly.  She looked up at the enchanted ceiling, gazing at the stars above them.  She looked down again at Buffy, murder in her eyes.  "Now we can play."

"Not gonna happen," Buffy said confidently.

Blaise grabbed hold of Draco as soon as she found him in the throng of people backed against the walls.

"What the hell is going on?" Blaise asked.

Draco shook his head, completely unsure of anything anymore.  "I really wish I knew."

"Miss Summers, what exactly is going on here?" one of the Professors yelled out.

Dumbledore was quick to put a hand to the offending Professors wrist.  "Let her handle this."

"I want you dead," Drusilla complained.  "I want my sweet Spike to come back to me.  You're floating all around him…laughing.  You took him away from me."

"Hmmm…same old Dru, insane as ever.  Y'know, I thought _you_ left him for…what was it again…a Chaos demon if I recall correctly," Buffy taunted.  She knew she was playing a dangerous game.  She needed back-up and soon, and she knew that none of the students would be rushing to her aid anytime soon.

"So…what's with your flunkies?  They all look as thick as bricks."

Two of the minions growled angrily and attacked without thought.  They were obviously annoyed by the orders to not attack, and their sloppy lunging only got them killed.  The Slayer half of Buffy Summers smiled contentedly.  It had been too long since she'd killed anything, and the darker half of her nature prepared itself for the battle.

Drusilla glared angrily at Buffy.  "You were meant to be weak.  The stars said so…no more than a kitten, ready to be killed.  They lied."

Buffy just shrugged and kept her eyes on the other twelve minions that surrounded the insane vampire.  She was fairly certain that Drusilla wasn't going to attack her.

"Things change Dru."

The vampire had had enough of their conversation and she clapped her hands once more.  "Kill her!" 

The twelve vampires attacked her without hesitation.  It had been too long since she'd fought, and whilst half of her revelled in it, the other half of her was protesting, knowing that even though she was still in shape, she was very out of practise.  Apparently not that out of practice, she thought as one of the vampires impaled itself on her stake.  

Her movements were quick, kicking, blocking, punching, dodging, attacking and counter-attacking with all of her strength.  She wasn't going to lose this fight.  Not against Drusilla.  She still needed revenge on the vampire that had killed Kendra, and she planned to exact it this evening.  Another vampire was staked.

Two of the remaining ten broke away, Buffy unable to stop them from heading towards the students as the other eight continued their assault.  Both vampires made their way to the right side of the hall where the Gryffindor and Slytherin students were huddling.  One of the vampires easily grabbed a student, the other holding the Slytherin girl still, trying to avoid being kicked and punched.

Buffy could see it out of her peripheral vision but could do nothing but hope that someone else went to the girls aid.  Buffy ducked into a spinning kick and swept one of the vampires off his feet.  She quickly staked it before it could regroup, and she jumped to her feet before the vampires could tackle her to the ground.  Whoever Drusilla's minions were, they weren't the brightest, and she easily staked another, leaving six in the circle.

Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snnape all raced down the centre aisle of the Great Hall, their wands out, trying to think of spells that would help the Slayer, but not hit her at the same time.  McGonagall was the first to shout out a curse.

"_Vampirus imobulus_."

The six vampires froze, making Buffy's job far easier.  She quickly staked the six of them before they could regain their motor functions, and without hesitation, she raced to where the other two vampires were trying to get the girl to stop squirming so that they could feast.  She grabbed one of the vampires and threw him completely over the Slytherin table, the vampire landing in a heap on the ground.  

She pulled the struggling Slytherin girl away from the vampire, not even taking the time to register who it's victim was.  Pansy Parkinson.  The vampire, annoyed that it had lost it's dinner, kicked Buffy forcefully, sending her stumbling backwards.  She was hit again, and she quickly backed up, trying to regain the higher ground.  She did this by jumping up onto one of the benches and sending a stunning kick to the vampire's head, throwing it to the ground.  She went to jump down, but was tackled from behind, sending herself and the vampire tumbling to the ground, her stake falling out of her hands, across the floor and out of her reach.  She landed hard, the wind knocked out of her, and she was fairly certain that one of her ribs had just cracked.

She struggled to breathe, and tried to stand, only to be pulled to her feet by the vampire that had tackled her.  He threw her harshly into the waiting arms of its companion, and before Buffy could regroup, she felt fangs sliding into her neck.  She gasped and struggled, trying to free herself.  Her mind went blank before she forced herself to stop being so stupid.  She was the Slayer, she could get out of this.  She quickly reached into her robes and pulled out her wand.

"_Lumos solaire._"  

Sunlight shone from her wand and the two vampires in front and behind her crumbled to dust.  She forced herself to stay standing, knowing that Drusilla hadn't been hit by the spell.  She stumbled to the end of the Slytherin table and looked at the crazy vampire who had killed her sister Slayer.

"This isn't over Slayer," Drusilla said, her voice angry, but still tinged with insanity.

Buffy looked at the vampire and leant her weight heavily on the table that was keeping her from falling.  She brought her hand up and suddenly slammed it down again, breaking through the solid table and creating a makeshift stake for herself.  She threw it with deadly accuracy, hitting Drusilla's heart.  

"Yes it is."

As Drusilla turned to dust, Buffy felt blackness overtake her, and she crumpled to the floor.

----

Sorry for the delay!  Sadly I've been in bed sick for the better part of the week, so….rahness.  Anyways, mega thanks for all your emails and reviews and stuff!  Greatly appreciate them.  You guys make my day.  

Toodles.

K.


	32. Healing

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: HEALING

**Sunday, 14th March 1999**

There was a sudden rush of people who ran to the fallen Slayer's side, Draco pushing his way through to get close to his girlfriend.  He dropped to his knees and gently rolled her onto her back just as Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall reached them.  Snape gently pushed Draco aside and knelt beside Buffy, feeling for her pulse.

"She's alive," Snape said, almost surprised by how relieved he felt at finding a pulse.  He wasted no time in over-analysing it.

"Get her to the infirmary," Dumbledore instructed.

Snape nodded and quickly conjured up a stretched, and floating it quickly towards the hospital wing.  Draco and Blaise followed after the Professor, practically stepping on his heels as they rushed towards the hospital wing.

"Is she alright?" Blaise asked, the worry clearly evident in her voice.

"She should be fine," Snape replied sharply, not wanting to answer incessant questions from teenagers when he wasn't entirely sure of the answers himself.

"They were vampires, weren't they sir?" Draco asked.

"Yes they were."

"And Buffy's the Slayer?" Blaise asked.

"Yes."

"So Slayers really do exist," Blaise mused.

"Yes.  Now cease your infernal questioning and let me get her to Madame Pomfrey," Snape snapped.

Blaise and Draco shared worried glances and followed in silence, hurrying to the hospital wing.  As soon as they entered the room, Snape called out for Madame Pomfrey, his cry telling the medi-witch that something serious had happened.  

Poppy Pomfrey had seen many things in her years as the Hogwarts nurse, but she'd never seen anything like the sight that greeted her now.  An unconscious student with bite marks on her neck and bruises forming on her skin as well.  Snape gently lifted the Slayer from the stretcher and carefully placed her onto one of the hospital beds as Madame Pomfrey raced around trying to find the correct potions.

Before she could even begin administering them to the ailing girl, Dumbledore arrived and stood beside Buffy's bed, conjuring a cloth and pressing it against the leaking wounds on Buffy's neck.

"You cannot heal her with potions Poppy," Dumbledore said regretfully.

"I'm sorry?" 

"She needs to be treated in the muggle fashion," Dumbledore explained.

Draco and Blaise gave the Headmaster identical confused looks.  Even Professor Snape wasn't entirely certain why the Slayer couldn't be healed with magic.

"Why ever not Albus?" Poppy asked, not entirely sure how to help this girl if she couldn't use magic.

"She can't afford to become reliant on magical remedies," Dumbledore explained.

"She could die!" Draco yelled, panic evident in his voice.  The fear that he was experiencing wasn't making him entirely rational, and the fact that he'd just basically yelled at the Headmaster didn't really occur to him at all.

"And she will die if we treat her as a normal witch," Dumbledore replied gently, but still with force.  "If her body accustoms itself to healing with potions, her own natural healing capabilities will fade.  All it takes is one potion, and her body would begin needing magic to heal.  She's a Slayer, Mr Malfoy.  This injury will not kill her."

Madame Pomfrey gasped and looked at the injured girl with new eyes.  She had, of course, been told about the newest Hogwarts student, but she'd been unaware that she was anything more than a witch who'd come into her powers later in life.  It wasn't unheard of, particularly with muggle born students.   

"How can I help her then?" Madame Pomfrey asked quietly.

"Pressure on the wound; rest and plenty of it.  When she wakes up she'll need vitamins and sugar."

Madame Pomfrey nodded and set about trying to make the unconscious Slayer more comfortable.  Dumbledore was still holding the bandage to Buffy's neck, so there was nothing more the school nurse could do in trying to stop the bleeding.  

"I can't believe this," Blaise whispered quietly.  "Slayers…they really do exist."

Draco hadn't taken his eyes off his girlfriend's still form.  He'd known that Buffy had been hiding something, she made effort to hide the fact that she had a secret.  He'd never even imagined that it would be something like this.

"She's the Slayer…she never told me."

"She was forbidden to tell you Mr Malfoy.  Believe me, she did not wish to deliberately deceive you."

Draco nodded and swallowed hard, stepping forward to gently touch Buffy's hands.  He looked at her knuckles and saw specks of blood tinging the tops.  He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a wet towel, gently cleaning the wounds.  On closer inspection, he saw that it was only dried blood with no wounds beneath them.  He could only wonder whether the blood there had belonged to her or to the vampires that she'd been fighting.

"But…if she's the Slayer, how can she afford to be at Hogwarts?  I mean…shouldn't she be out fighting vampires?" Draco asked.

Dumbledore sighed deeply.  "Although the legends of there being only one Slayer at a time are indeed true, there is always an exception to every rule.  At this point in time, there are actually two Slayers.  That is how Miss Summers can afford to be here."

"But why is she still here?" Blaise asked.  She seemed to realise how blunt her question was when Draco looked at her with fire in his eyes.  "Don't get me wrong, she's one of the best friends I've ever had, and I've only known her for like a month or something, but…she told us that she wasn't guilty of the murder that she'd been accused of.  So…why hasn't she gone home?"

"The people who look after the Slayer, the Watchers, they do not believe her innocence," Dumbledore explained.

"Well, what about Veritaserum?" Blaise asked, looking to the Potions Master for confirmation.

"They require solid _muggle_ proof," Dumbledore replied.

"Oh."

Before anyone else could say anything, they were disturbed from their semi-silence by someone shuffling uncomfortably near the door.  They all turned to look, and Blaise and Draco's eyes narrowed as they saw their friend's enemy hovering in the doorway.

"If you've come to gloat don't even bother," Blaise said harshly.

She still hadn't forgiven Pansy Parkinson for the stunt on the Quidditch field two days earlier.  Draco felt even more animosity to the girl than usual, and neither of the Slytherins could work out why Buffy hadn't even wanted to plan a revenge tactic.

Pansy shook her head.  She hadn't come to gloat.  She'd come to make sure that Buffy Summers was alright.  There was an uncomfortable pit of guilt in her stomach, and a feeling of complete regret. She stepped closer and looked at the small blonde girl lying on the bed, deathly pale and completely still.

"She saved my life," Pansy whispered softly, as though unable to believe that someone she hated so much could do something so incredible for her.  "After everything I did to her…after what happened with that Bludger…"

"What Bludger?" Snape demanded.  He'd known of the hatred Pansy Parkinson felt towards Buffy Summers and never before had it bothered him, but now, after Buffy had extended to him an offer to let her earn his trust, he was worried that he would never be able to tell her that she had earned that and so much more.  He had gained a new respect for the Slayer and hearing that one of his students had done something to harm this girl was making him more than slightly aggrieved.

Pansy shifted uncomfortably, guilt piling up in her stomach at her actions.  Blaise scoffed and rolled her eyes.  She looked to Snape, more than willing to give an explanation to their Housemaster.

"She cursed a Bludger during practice.  She sent it flying, full-speed, straight at Buffy's head," Blaise explained.

Professor Dumbledore and Snape both looked at Pansy in shock.  Neither of them had been expecting anything that violent to happen between the two Slytherin girls.

"I'll be dealing with you later, mark my words," Snape practically growled.

"That's how she caught it," Draco whispered in wonderment.  The thought of his girlfriend's spectacular catch and subsequent throw had been plaguing his mind for days.  The answer was now incredibly simple.  "Supernatural reflexes."

"She caught a Bludger?" Snape asked, his eyebrows raised, clearly impressed.

"With her bare hands," Blaise gushed.  "And then that throw…my gosh.  Not even the World Cup Quidditch players could have thrown anything like that, and it was a Bludger too.  No way anyone should have been able to make a goal with a Bludger from the other end of the field."

"I've been nothing but horrible to her since she came to Hogwarts, but she didn't even hesitate to save me," Pansy said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded and put a gentle hand on Pansy's shoulder.  The Slytherin girl looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Buffy's a hero you see.  When that vampire had you, you weren't the girl that has antagonised her for the last month.  You were simply a girl, a victim.  And Miss Summers, being who and what she is, was unable to let you die," the Headmaster explained.

Pansy let that information sink in slowly.  She was still shaken from the attack, but more than anything, she was replaying her rescue over and over again.  She'd felt the panic of someone who knew they were going to die, but her attacker had been thrown away from her, and in it's place was Buffy Summers, her eyes blazing with power and something else, darker and indescribable.  

After several more moments, she turned and left, not wanting to stay any longer with people who didn't particularly like her.  She mentally made a wish for the Slayer to come out of this alive, and made her way back to the Great Hall where every other student in the school was madly gossipping about what had just happened.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Dumbledore pulled Professor Snape aside as Blaise and Draco settled themselves into chairs beside Buffy's bed, both of them silently worrying about their friend.

"Will you inform Professor McGonagall that I'll be back within the hour.  There's someone I feel will wish to see our young Slayer."

Snape just nodded and turned back to looked at Buffy as Dumbledore left the room, only to walk to the edge of Hogwarts grounds, leave the safety of the protective barriers around the school and disapparate away from England.

----

Well, whoever suggested that maybe having Giles and Willow visit Hogwarts would be feasible, well…you were spot on.  There's your sneak preview for next chapter!  ;)

And to the person who questioned about Pettigrew being in Gryffindor…grr, I completely forgot about him being a Death-Eater.  Mistake on my part, but I doubt I'll change it just cos I liked the line…. ;)

Toodles.

K.


	33. Visiting

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: VISITING

**Sunday, 14th March 1999**

Giles and Willow sat in the library, still pouring over books that had yet to tell them anything new.  While they weren't reading up on anything that the Mayor might have been up to, they were looking for ways to prove Buffy's innocence.  Neither research ventures had proven to be particularly fruitful at all.  Willow sighed and stood up, her eyes hurting from reading too many small words in the last few hours.

"Giles, I'm going to head home okay?" 

Giles looked up and saw how tired the redheaded hacker turned amateur-Wiccan was looking.  He nodded and gave her a friendly smile.  He couldn't believe the loyalty of Buffy's friends, and for almost the first time did he truly appreciate how much effort they really put into the help that they gave.

"Yes of course Willow."

"Do you need me to come in again tomorrow?" she asked, hoping desperately that he would say no.  

She'd barely slept the evening before, due to the full moon and the first shift of Oz-watching.  Xander and Cordelia had been absent from the afternoons research due to them taking over early in the morning to allow Willow to sleep.  Oz of course was completely exempt, due to his serious need to get some proper rest.

"No, that's fine.  Thank you," he said genuinely.

Willow smiled, gratified that someone had noticed their hard efforts.  She sighed, wishing that Buffy was by her side so they could go and get sugared up on mochas.  She missed her best friend with an intense ache, and she knew she would do anything to get Buffy back where she belonged.  

She gathered her laptop and replaced it in her bag before slinging it over her shoulder.  She moved to leave when a soft 'pop' startled her completely.  She blinked several times as though trying to work out what had happened.  There was a man suddenly standing in front of her, and for the life of her, she couldn't work out why.

"Uh…Giles?" Willow asked, not taking her eyes off the strange gentleman with the long flowing beard and the billowing purple robes.

Giles looked up, having not heard the popping sound over his internal musings.  He gasped and stood, moving quickly to stand beside Willow.

"What's happened?" Giles asked, his voice tinged with panic and urgency.

Willow looked at the ex-Watcher and wondered for a moment about the source of his fear.  It suddenly occurred to her who the man who had just appeared was.

"Buffy," she whispered softly, panic beginning to flow through her veins as well.

Dumbledore just smiled at them and looked around the library, completely fascinated by it.  He strolled towards the counter, leaning over to look at the computer, shaking his head at such technology.  He looked calm, but Giles was feeling anything but that particular emotion.

"What's happened?" Giles demanded.  "Is it Buffy?  Is she alright?"

Dumbledore turned, the calm look remaining on his face.

"She'll be alright," the Headmaster of Hogwarts assured them.  "She's slightly banged up at the moment I'm afraid, but she'll be good as new come morning."

His assurances did little for either the Wiccan or the Watcher.  Whilst on the one hand they knew that Buffy was going to be alright, the double edged sword came to the fore and told them that something had obviously gone wrong in order for her to be alright.

"But what happened to her Albus?" Giles asked, trying not to begin raging at the elderly wizard.

"Just a vampire attack," Dumbledore explained.  "She's certainly a talented fighter.  Fifteen against one in front of a hall filled with panicked students.  I feared the worst, but…I can see why the Council fears the power that she holds.  She's far better than the best Slayers have ever been."

"Fifteen?" Willow repeated, feeling slightly faint.  She stumbled backwards, needing to sit down, or at least lean against something, and when her lower back connected with the table, she pulled herself onto it, her legs dangling over the edge.

"What were vampires doing in Hogwarts?" Giles asked, wanting Dumbledore to stop being cryptic and just get to the point of his visit.  

"Looking for Miss Summers of course," the wizard replied as though the answer were obvious.  "A vampire named Drusilla seemed intent on revenge for something or other.  I didn't quite catch what it was in all the confusion.  Something about someone named Spike."

Willow and Giles exchanged glances.  The last time they had heard either vampires names being mentioned it hadn't ended well.  Besides trying to bring about the end of the world several times, either by piecing together the judge or trying to bring forth Acathla, Giles and Willow both knew that Spike and Drusilla had personal vendettas against Buffy.

"And Drusilla…what of her?" Giles asked.

"Dust," Dumbledore replied.

Willow and Giles both breathed sighs of relief.

"What about Buffy?  She's okay right?" Willow asked, still desperate to hear of anything regarding her best friend.

Dumbledore smiled at the girl and nodded.  "As I said earlier, she'll be fine.  Unfortunately while she was saving one of the students, she was blindsided, and a vampire managed to get in a pretty good attack.  She was bitten-" Willow gasped "but she will be fine."

Even though Giles knew that Dumbledore was telling the truth, the news that his Slayer had been attacked was not entirely comforting.  He wanted to see her, needed to see her.

"No doubt you'll wish to visit her," Dumbledore said before Giles could begin making demands of him.

Giles nodded, already on his way to grab his discarded jacket.  He pulled out a pen and a slip of paper, scribbling a note for the remaining Scoobies, explaining that he and Willow would be back.  He didn't tell them where they were going.

The Watcher looked to the Headmaster expectantly, but Willow was at his side in an instant.

"If you're going to see her, there is no way that you're going without me," she said forcefully.

Giles looked to Dumbledore to see if this was alright with him, but the Headmaster just chuckled and took hold of Willow's hand.

"As though there was ever any doubt."

The wizard pulled a handkerchief from his cloak and unwrapped what looked to be a silver key.  He placed it on the counter and looked to Willow and Giles.

"On the count of three, all you need to do is touch the key," Dumbledore explained, more for Willow's benefit than for Giles who already knew this.  Willow nodded, suddenly slightly fearful of what she had just got herself into.  She breathed in bravely and when Dumbledore said three, she touched the key.  She felt a strange pulling sensation just behind her navel and the world spun wildly.

------------------------

The trio stood at the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, Willow eyes wide and trying to take in the fact that it was suddenly night time and incredibly cold.  She shivered a little and wrapped her arms around herself.  Dumbledore noticed and handed her a wrapped sweet.  She took it from him sceptically, but again, all he could do was smile at her.

Willow looked to Giles but found him smirking.  He nodded, silently telling her that she could trust this stranger giving her candy, and she quickly unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth.  By the first suck, a delicious warmth had spread throughout her body, and she immediately stopped shivering.

"Oh wow," she breathed quietly, wondering whether she'd be able to get more of those types of sweets for winter patrols.

They walked quickly towards a castle that had Willow gaping.  Her slack-jawed expression nearly caused her to lose the sweet in her mouth, and she barely managed to keep herself from drooling down her chin.  She closed her mouth when she saw Giles' amusement.  She glared at him and the trio walked up the stairs and into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts.

Giles sighed happily, memories of his own time at Hogwarts flooding his mind.  "It's been too long since I've seen this place," he said wistfully.

"That it has my old friend," Dumbledore said quietly.  "That it has."

Willow spared several moments to take in the magnificence of the Entrance Hall, wondering how big this castle actually was.  She'd thought it had looked big from the outside, but the inside was seemingly even larger.

Dumbledore led them towards a corridor, past a large double door where loud sounds of people talking could be heard.  It sounded as though there was chaos and panic running through what Giles knew to be the Great Hall.

"Let me guess…Drusilla attacked during dinner," Giles surmised.

Dumbledore nodded gravely.  He hadn't been expecting it, and he definitely hadn't been prepared for it.  He'd known curses and counter-curses to help, but they would only have worked in closer range.  When he'd seen the vampires come in, it had taken him several moments to pull himself together and go to try and defeat them.  By the time he'd reached them, Buffy had already taken out nearly half of the group.

"We were terribly lucky that no one was hurt," Dumbledore said.  "The vampires seemed to only wish to attack Miss Summers, and whilst that is not generally a good thing, it meant that they weren't aiming for the other students."

"But you said that Buffy saved someone," Willow said, trying to keep up with the long strides that the two men were walking with.

"Two of the fifteen vampires decided that they wouldn't bother trying to attack the Slayer when there were so many other available meals," Dumbledore said, his eyes narrowing.  He'd barely even registered the attack on the other student, so caught up in thinking of ways to help the Slayer.  

"But that student is alright?" Giles asked.

Dumbledore nodded.  He knew that Pansy Parkinson was shaken and would probably have nightmares for the next several nights, but the Headmaster knew that the attack was not the only thing on Pansy's mind.  He had no doubt that the Slytherin girl would be asking for answers to her questions.

Dumbledore suddenly stopped outside a doorway and pointed for Giles and Willow to enter.  They could see a small group of people gathered around one of the beds.  Giles raced to Buffy's side, ignoring everyone except the nurse trying to help her.

"You didn't try and heal her magically I hope," he said.

Poppy Pomfrey shook her head.  She had no idea who this man was, but whoever he was, he seemed to be incredibly worried about the unconscious girl.

"No Rupert," Dumbledore replied calmly.  "She's been treated by purely muggle medicinal means.  No doubt after several weeks without slaying, a battle such as tonight's was somewhat stressful on her body."

Buffy coughed uncomfortably, her ribs aching.  She opened her eyes, squinting against the sudden light that hit her irises.

"Way to understate Professor," Buffy groaned as she stirred.  

Giles, Willow and Draco all yelled her name simultaneously.  Draco grabbed her hand tightly, gaining her complete attention. She smiled at him, taking in his worried features, trying to reassure him that she was not too badly hurt.

"I was so worried," Draco admitted in a harsh whispered.  He bent down to brush a gentle kiss on her forehead.  She shook her head slightly, unable to lift herself up to kiss him properly as she wanted so desperately to do.

"I'm tougher than I look," Buffy replied.

Draco laughed a little and gave her a thoroughly impressed look.  "So I've heard.  I'm dating a Slayer!"

"Dating?" Giles and Willow asked in shocked unison.

Buffy turned her head, her eyes lighting up.  She hadn't noticed her best friend or her Watcher standing beside her bed.

"Giles!  Wills!  What are you guys doing here?!"

"Visiting you of course," Willow replied, stepping forward and leaning over Buffy to give her an awkward hug.  Giles too stepped forward and gently squeezed Buffy's hand before letting it go.

"I couldn't very well not come and visit my Slayer when she's in a hospital bed, now could I?" Giles asked.  Buffy couldn't help but give a sheepish grin, almost embarrassed that her first battle in the last six weeks had landed her in the hospital wing.  "I hear you've been battling vampires single-handedly."

"Well you've been hearing wrong," Buffy replied.  "Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall all helped.  I couldn't have done it without them."

Draco suddenly leaned forward and whispered something in her ear.  "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Buffy flushed and tried to sit up in bed, only to groan in pain.  Draco helped her to sit up a little more slowly, arranging the pillows behind her so that she could lean back against them.  Willow watched the two of them with interest, wondering how serious it was between the Slayer and the boy who looked a lot like Spike. 

"Giles, Wills, this is Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.  I'm guessing you already know Professors Dumbledore and Snape.  Everyone, this is my best friend Willow Rosenburg, and my Watcher, Rupert Giles."

A chorus of 'nice to meet you's ensued, and Draco stared appraisingly at Willow.  He was rewarded with a hit from both Buffy and Blaise.  He gave them a shrug and turned his attention back to Buffy, just grateful that his girlfriend hadn't been killed.  He'd been too close to losing her, and he didn't want to let go of her now.

Blaise poked Buffy's leg from her position next to Draco, capturing Buffy's attention.

"You know, a little warning next time might be nice," Blaise said teasingly.  "I mean, it's not every day that I find out my best friend is the freaking Slayer."

Buffy just grinned and then sobered a little.  She couldn't help but give Blaise a genuine smile at being referred to as a best friend.  She'd often thought that about the Slytherin girl, but hadn't known whether or not to classify Blaise that way.

"Don't look so shocked," Blaise said, rolling her eyes.  "Even us tough Slytherin girls can get all mushy sometimes."

Buffy grinned and couldn't hold back a small amount of laughter.  "Well, if it's any small comfort to you, the feelings mutual."

Blaise smiled and couldn't help but step forward to give Buffy a hug.  

Willow watched, half jealous that in less than six weeks, someone had wormed their way up to best friend status with Buffy, but the other half glad that Buffy had obviously found friends at Hogwartds.

"Wait a moment," Giles suddenly said, one of Blaise's words suddenly jumping out at him.  "Slytherin?"

"What's a Slytherin?" Willow asked in confusion.

"It's a house Wills," Buffy explained.  "Hogwarts is divided into four different houses, Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw."

"I'd have thought for sure you'd have been a Gryffindor," Giles said in confusion.

Buffy shrugged, not wanting to begin another rant on the difference in the houses and how people automatically assumed bad things about anyone who was a Slytherin.  "Well, red and gold for Gryffindor really did nothing for my skin tone," she quipped lightly.

Dumbledore could see that Giles was clearly perturbed by this strange turn of events.  He stepped forward to explain it to the Watcher.

"A Slayer's power is rooted in darkness Rupert.  Salazar Slytherin would wish for that in his own house, whether the witch or wizard was pureblood or not," Dumbledore explained.

"That does make sense I suppose," Giles mused quietly.

Willow, not really understanding all the talk of houses and darkness, looked to Buffy, wanting confirmation from the Slayer herself that she was alright.  

"So…Buff…I mean, you are okay, right?" Willow asked.

Buffy smiled gently at her best friend and nodded.  "I'll be fine.  Seriously, I've been injured worse than this before.  But, enough about me.  How's Sunnydale?  How's the Gang?  My mom?"

"It's…quiet there without you," Willow said sadly.  "The Gang's been looking into proving your innocence and stuff.  Plus there's a new big bad.  It turns out the Mayor is actually evil."

"I always thought that man was too cheery for his own good," Buffy quipped.

Willow smiled a little, comforted by her friend's attempt at humour.  It meant that the Slayer hadn't been too badly affected by her time at Hogwarts, away from her friends.

"But…apart from that, we're all okay.  We miss you a lot, but…we're okay."

"Good," Buffy replied quietly.  She'd been worried about how the Gang would cope without her, and she was glad that they seemed to be doing okay.

"What about you?" Willow asked curiously, a smile tugging at her lips as she glanced towards Draco.  "When did all this happen?"

"A month yesterday," Buffy and Draco replied simultaneously, pride in their voices.  

They looked at each other and grinned.  Blaise and Willow rolled their eyes, saw each others movements and couldn't help but grin.

"Are they always like this?"

"Be glad you weren't here for the honeymoon phase.  At least they've kind of settled down," Blaise said.  "You've missed most of the mush."

Willow giggled and saw why Buffy and Blaise got along so well.  Buffy and Draco looked away from each other and glared at the two girls.

"We're not that bad!" Draco protested loudly.  "You're just jealous Zabini!"

"Damn right I am," Blaise replied, still grinning.  "And neither of you guys have been helping me find my own man."

"All the good ones are taken," Buffy said, looking at Draco.

The silver-eyed Slythern smiled and squeezed Buffy's hand.  He sometimes still couldn't believe the warm fuzziness that had settled into permanent residence in his stomach.  

"Hmmm…Harry's still single," Blaise said cheekily.

Draco's eyes blazed angrily.  "You are not going anywhere near that git!" 

Buffy and Blaise grinned at each other, while Willow just looked entirely confused.  

"Who's Harry?" she asked.

"Harry Potter.  He's a Gryffindor student.  He and Draco have been nemeses since their first year," Buffy explained.

Willow nodded, pretending to understand. 

"Think of Draco as a male Cordelia, and Harry as you," Buffy continued.

Willow's eyes suddenly lit up with understanding.  Draco looked at his girlfriend, trying to work out whether or not he'd just been horribly insulted.

"Is this a bad thing?" he asked.

She just smiled sweetly at him.  "Paranoia still doesn't look good on you."

"But like you said, just cos I'm paranoid doesn't mean I'm not right," he retorted.

"Well, it's not entirely bad.  Cordelia was kinda mean to begin with, but…she redeemed herself in a big way.  Just cos people start out one way doesn't mean they have to stay that way."

Draco nodded, grasping what she was saying.  He decided to take the last part as a compliment, knowing full well how much he had changed since Buffy Summers had walked into his life.  And, after meeting her friends from back home, he suddenly realised how close he was to losing her.  He didn't even want to contemplate what would happen when that came about, but he knew that sooner or later, he would need to face the facts.  Buffy was leaving Hogwarts incredibly soon, and in all likelihood, she wouldn't be returning.

----

Sorry for the delay!!  Mega thanks for the reviews and emails and stuff!  

Toodles.

K.


	34. Accusations

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: ACCUSATIONS

**Sunday, 14th March 1999**

Giles finally turned away from his conversation with Dumbledore, still slightly perturbed that his Slayer, one of the bravest and most loyal teenagers he'd ever met, hadn't been placed in Gryffindor.  He turned his attention fully to Buffy, pulling up a chair to sit beside her.

"So, how's Snyder?" Buffy asked with a grin, casting a glance to look at Snape, who completely missed it.  "Has he been doing happy dances since I left?"

Giles chuckled a little at the imagery.  

"Not quite.  In fact I rather think he misses having someone to torment," Giles explained.

"Yeah Buff, he's been starting in on the Scoobies since you left," Willow chimed in.

"Who's Snyder?" Blaise and Draco asked.

Buffy looked at her Hogwarts friends and launched into an explanation.  

"He's the principal of my old school in Sunnydale," she explained.  She looked to Willow for confirmation of her next statement.  "What was it that Cordelia called him?  A tiny, impotent nazi with a bug up his butt the size of an emu?"

Willow smiled at the memory and nodded, while Blaise and Draco looked a little confused.  They understood about half of the comment, but just smiled anyway.

"Well, I can happily state that in no way do I miss him," Buffy said firmly.  She looked to Snape pointedly.  "I've got new Professors who seem to like tormenting me."

Giles followed her gaze and glared at Professor Snape.  He managed not to shift uncomfortably under the full Ripper-glare, and Buffy had to respect him for that.  The Watcher turned his attention back to Buffy, a question on his lips.

"I have to admit to being slightly surprised," Giles began.  "Every time that I've envisioned seeing you again, your first question has always been when you could come home."

Willow too looked at Buffy. She had been a little surprised that Buffy hadn't enquired about when she could leave Hogwarts.  

Buffy paused, thinking over the question.  It wasn't that she didn't want to go home, it was just that she didn't want to leave Hogwarts.  

"Home…right.  Away from Hogwarts.  Cos…I don't really belong here."

Draco and Blaise looked at her sadly.  She avoided looking at them, knowing that tears would begin flowing if she had to see their expressions.  She breathed in deeply and decided to jump in with both feet.

"So…when can I go home?"

Giles sighed, wishing he had better news.  "We're still working on it.  I've been trying to get in contact with Jeremy Marshall, Faith's new Watcher, but they seem to be unreachable," he explained.

Buffy looked at him closely, trying to read between the lines of his last comment.  "That seems kinda convenient.  Did Faith pull that or does the Council really hate me that much?"

"The latter I'm afraid," Giles admitted.  "And for what it's worth, I am sorry.  About letting the Council take you away from Sunnydale."

Buffy shook her head and smiled at her Watcher.  "It wasn't your fault Giles," she said softly.  "It all happened pretty damn fast anyway.  'Sides, if it wasn't for you I probably woulda been stuck in the Council somewhere.  At least Hogwarts turned out to be pretty decent."

Buffy heard someone clear their throat, and she turned to look up at the offender.  She smirked at the Professor and held back a laugh, knowing that the following confrontation was bound to be entertaining.

"Well, _some_ things were pretty decent," she corrected herself.

Ethan Rayne smirked and looked her over.  He would never admit that he had been slightly worried when he'd seen the Slayer collapse after the battle.

"You alright Slayer?" Ethan asked.

"Right as rain."

Ethan smirked a little.  "Funny."

"You remember Giles, right Ethan?" Buffy asked.

Ethan suddenly swung his head around to see Giles glaring at him, now standing with his fists clenched, obviously wanting to hit the DADA Professor.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here Ethan?" Giles demanded angrily.

Ethan forced himself to relax and puffed out his chest proudly.  "I'm a Professor."

"Of what, chaos?" 

"Defence Against the Dark Arts," Ethan replied calmly.

Giles swung his angry gaze to look at Dumbledore, incredulous that Ethan Rayne would really be allowed to teach.  "You actually let this pillock teach young children a subject regarding the Dark Arts?" 

"A lot has changed since you saw him last," Dumbledore replied calmly.

"The last time I saw him was eight months ago when he turned the whole town into randy teenagers," Giles ranted.

"And how is dear Joyce?" Ethan asked, smirking.

Both Buffy and Giles turned their glares on him.  "Don't you dare talk about my mother," Buffy warned, her hands curling into fists.  She didn't care that she was in a hospital bed, Ethan had insulted her mother and she wouldn't let him get away with that.  

Ethan held up his hands in mock-surrender and looked back to Giles, a rare serious look on his face.

"I haven't been teaching any of the students our bad habits," Ethan explained.  "I've done nothing to harm any of them."

Buffy cleared her throat pointedly and Ethan's brow furrowed.  

"Except maybe her," he qualified.

"Oh, that's comforting," Giles said sarcastically.  "What other damage did you do to my Slayer?"

"It's kind of a long story," Ethan said.

"Boggart, Angelus, sword fight," Buffy said succinctly.

Ethan looked at her and she shrugged unrepentantly.

"Apparently not that long," the DADA Professor sighed.

"We've called a truce," Buffy explained when she saw Giles begin to move closer to Ethan.  As much as she would like to have seen a fight between Giles and Ethan, she knew that the Professors of Hogwarts probably wouldn't approve of it.

"A truce?" Giles repeated angrily, his eyes still on Ethan.  "You come to our town, nearly get us all killed with your Halloween stunt, you…tattoo my Slayer, come back again and drug the entire town so a group of vampires could sacrifice four newborn children to a demon, you set a boggart of Angelus loose, and now you've called a _truce_?"

Draco looked at Buffy, unable to believe that their Professor had done so many things to the Watcher and Slayer over the years.  

"And who says that muggles lead boring lives?" Buffy said dryly, grinning at Draco.

He couldn't help but smile a little, but now when he looked at Ethan, he looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"I will never trust you Ethan," Giles finished.

Dumbledore stepped forward, feeling the need to get between the two nemeses.  

"I would trust Ethan with my life.  And the lives of my students," Dumbledore said quietly.

"Well you better not expect me to trust Buffy to that berk, because it'll only happen when hell freezes over," Giles said angrily.

Professor Snape stepped forward, unable to just stand idly by whilst a fight was raging between two people he had once known long ago.

"Rupert, if Dumbledore trusts the man, then maybe you should too," Snape suggested calmly.

Buffy turned to look at the Potions Master, her eyebrows raised.  She knew that Snape was a Professor and that her next comment could get her into a lot of trouble, but she knew it would be worth whatever the consequences.

"Sometimes trust needs to be _earned_, Professor," Buffy said, staring at Snape.

Snape looked at her, unable to believe that she had contradicted him.  The words settled into his mind and he knew that his own argument from several days before had just been turned around on him.

"Touché," he said quietly.

Dumbledore looked to Giles, wondering how to calm the Watcher down.

"Rupert, you do not need to trust him with your Slayer.  You do, hopefully however, trust me with her."

Giles nodded, knowing that there was hardly anyone on the earth who he would trust Buffy to, but that Dumbledore was one of the very few.

"I know of Professor Rayne's past and it is possible for a man to change.  You yourself were able to recover after the incident with Eyghon," Dumbledore reminded him.

Draco looked up at the Headmaster, the name striking something within him.

"Eyghon," he repeated quietly.  He looked to Buffy with wide eyes.  "That's where I've seen that mark.  Your tattoo is the Mark of Eyghon."

Buffy nodded and Giles turned to look at her with angry eyes.

"You said you were going to have that removed," he accused.

"I couldn't afford it," she admitted sheepishly.

Giles rolled his eyes and Buffy heard a strange clucking sound coming from the inside of Giles' mouth.

"Don't be mad," Buffy pleaded.

"I'm not," Giles replied steadily.

"Yes you are," Willow and Buffy said simultaneously.

"How can you tell?" Blaise asked curiously.  She knew he was frustrated, but if the man in front of her was angry when he looked so calm, she'd hate to see him when he lost his control.

"He's making that weird 'cluck cluck' sound with his tongue," Willow explained.

Giles sighed and removed his glasses, polishing them on a handkerchief.  Buffy smiled, unable to believe that she'd missed watching the familiar habit.

"You two always were too perceptive for your own good," Giles said to Willow and Buffy.

The two girls just grinned at each other, and Buffy felt a swell of affection for her Watcher and her best friend.  She hadn't been expecting to see them, but it was definitely the best of surprises.  But, now that she'd seen two of her friends, she had the strongest desire to see the others as well.

"I don't suppose the others could come and visit anytime soon?" Buffy asked.

"The Council has a permanent locator spell on you, so you wouldn't be able to leave Hogwarts.  But I don't object to having another visitor or two," Dumbledore said.

Giles did a quick mental calculation.  "It's probably closer to six of us altogether.  Seven if you wish to see Angel again."

Draco shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Angel.  He'd heard the rest of the tale about Angel's return and their attempt at a relationship, which hadn't worked too well.  Whilst he knew that Buffy cared about him, he also knew that Buffy still loved Angel.  Buffy squeezed his hand and smiled at him, trying to comfort him.  She could tell that Angel wasn't his favourite of topics.

"Seven then."

Draco looked at her, unable to understand why she would wish to see the vampire again if there was nothing between them as her gentle hand movement had suggested. 

"We need proper closure," Buffy explained.

Draco sighed, but nodded, knowing that Buffy could never truly be his until she'd let go of Angel face-to-face rather then through the letter from six weeks ago.

Giles looked between them, still unable to believe that he hadn't known that Buffy had started a new relationship with a fellow student at Hogwarts.

"You're really dating?"

"Yup," Buffy replied simply.

"And I didn't know this because of what reason?" Giles asked.

"I think Dumbledore's exact words were that 'the Council does not wish for me to contact anyone from Sunnydale'," she said in a fake and entirely too pompous British accent.  She flashed a smile at the Headmaster to let him know that she was only teasing.  His eyes twinkled and she knew that he hadn't been horribly offended.

"Yes, but I'd have thought that Albus would at least keep me informed of my Slayer's social life," Giles said, looking at the Headmaster, wondering why Dumbledore hadn't told him that Buffy had become involved with someone.

The Headmaster just smiled and Buffy couldn't help but grin.  Giles hadn't been told because his reaction was far funnier in person than it would be in a letter.  Buffy went to tell him this but was stopped once more by a half-mad, half-inquisitive Hermione Granger.  

Buffy's smile faded and she knew that she was in for some serious questioning.

----

Many thanks for your feedback!!  Tis always appreciated greatly!!

Toodles.

K.


	35. Inquisitions

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: INQUISITION

**Sunday, 14th March 1999**

"Hermione," Buffy greeted calmly.

Hermione just stared at her, her eyebrows raised, her arms folded across her chest, the very picture of someone who was not impressed.  

"You're a pretty good liar," Hermione said coldly.

Buffy winced and Draco went to rush to his girlfriend's defence, but Buffy squeezed his hand, looked at him and shook her head slightly.  She looked back at Hermione's eyes.

"I've never lied to you," Buffy replied.

"You told me you weren't the Slayer," Hermione accused.

Buffy shook her head.  It was a loophole and she knew it, but she'd never denied being the Slayer.

"You never asked me if I was.  You said you thought I was, and I neither confirmed nor denied it," Buffy replied calmly.

Hermione's eyes flashed.  She was so sure that Buffy had lied to her, and she didn't like being made a fool of, especially not by a Slytherin.  She couldn't believe that she'd thought Buffy was her friend.

"What about Faith?  How can she be the Slayer if you're the Chosen One?" Hermione asked.

"Like I told you, Faith is a Slayer," Buffy said.

Hermione shook her head, unable to believe that Buffy was still continuing her lie.  

"Answer me, yes or no.  Are you a Slayer?" Hermione demanded.

"Yes."

"And is Faith a Slayer?"

"Yes."

Hermione stopped.  She hadn't been expecting Buffy to answer yes to both questions.  Something was wrong with this picture.

"I thought there could only be one Slayer at a time," Blaise said.

Hermione nodded her agreement, and the three Hogwarts students turned to look at Buffy for an explanation.  The Slayer sighed tiredly, wishing that she didn't have to explain everything that had happened in her life at this exact moment.  She was still sore from the fight, and her exhaustion wasn't going away any time soon.

"I never thought I'd say this," Draco began, "but Granger does make a good point."

It was Giles who whispered the answer to their questions.

"One Slayer dies, the next one is Called."

Silence descended and Buffy shifted nervously on the bed.  Draco, Blaise and Hermione swung their gazes to look at Giles, and let the statement sink into their minds.  They then turned back to look at Buffy in shock.

"You died?" Draco asked, a completely horrified look on his face.

"It was only for a minute," Buffy defended herself.

"Two Slayers?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"It's completely unprecedented, I assure you," Giles added.

Hermione swung around to look at him, obviously confused.  She hadn't noticed the man beside Buffy's bed, nor has she noticed the short redhead who looked as though she could be one of the Weasley's.

"I don't believe we've met," Hermione said.

"Oh, Hermione, this is my Watcher, Rupert Giles, and my best friend Willow Rosenburg.  Guys, this is Hermione Granger.  She's been tutoring me in all things magical," Buffy said.

"Rupert Giles," Hermione repeated.  She could remember the name from a conversation the previous week.  "You're the man Sirius was talking about."

"Sirius?  Sirius Black?  There's a name I'd thought never to hear again," Giles said.  "How do you know him?"

"He's Harry's godfather," Buffy replied.

"Harry?  As in Potter?" Giles asked.

Draco rolled his eyes.  Another person who knew famous Harry Potter.  Even though Buffy wasn't looking in Draco's direction, she could feel him tense at the name.  She wondered if the two boys would ever be able to come to some sort of truce with each other.

"Sirius said that you were a pretty bad-ass Quidditch player," Buffy said, grinning at her Watcher.

Giles chuckled at the description.  It had been a long time since he'd been on a broom, let alone played Quidditch.  

"Quidditch?" Willow asked.

"Wizarding sport," Buffy explained.

"The _best_ wizarding sport," Draco embellished.

Buffy rolled her eyes, secretly loving her boyfriend's enthusiasm for the sport.  

"Fascinating though this is," Madame Pomfrey said, casting a disapproving glare on all of Buffy's visitors, "Miss Summers needs to rest.  Not even an hour ago, she was unconscious, and I very much doubt that she'll be able to heal properly if she is not given a chance to rest."

Buffy rolled her eyes, and cast a pleading look to Dumbledore.  He merely shook his head and looked to the others beside Buffy's bed.  

"We'd best leave Miss Summers to her rest," Dumbeldore said.

"Guys, I'm seriously fine," Buffy protested.  "Besides, we didn't even get to finish dinner.  And I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starving."

Pomfrey looked as though she was about to have a conniption.

"I forbid it!"

Unfortunately for the School medi-witch, that expression just made the Slayer even more determined to get out of bed and return to the Great Hall.  Before Pomfrey could reach her, Buffy had wrestled herself away from the covers and was on her feet.  She felt a moment of dizziness before forcing herself to stay standing.  She looked at the others with defiance.

Dumbledore and Giles sighed simultaneously.

"Very well Miss Summers," Dumbledore said.  "Perhaps it'd be best if we all adjourned to the Great Hall and continued dinner."

----

Many thanks for your reviews.  I know it's a short chappy, but…eh.  Next one's longer, I swear.  

Toodles.

Ooo, before I forget…I pose a question to you…I have twenty-five chapters of a fic written that I don't plan on continuing…it _was_ meant to be B/S, but kinda fizzled out cos…well, I'm not too keen on that pairing anymore…so…any thoughts on whether I should post a fic that I have no plans on continuing?  Same goes for 15 chaps of a B/Oz, 11 chaps of a BTVS/HP Buffy/Faith (dunno how _that_ happened…), 13 chaps of a B/Oliver…uhhhh…there's others as well…

Yeah, this is why I shouldn't be allowed near a computer.  I counted my started fics the other day…there was 27 unfinished fics in my files…not to mention all the pones that I actually managed to complete…yeesh.  So…I pose the question, if I post fics that I don't plan to continue (I had the best of intentions for In The Beginnign and Blackness of Sunnydale, honest…) would I get shot? ;)

Toodles.


	36. The Slayer

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: THE SLAYER

**Sunday, 14th March 1999**

The group walked back into the Great Hall that was still bursting with noise.  As the double oak doors opened, the entire room glanced towards them, several paranoid students looking as though they were about to run in case there was another vampire attack.  Most students breathed a sigh of relief as they saw Professor Dumbledore followed by a multitude of others.

Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore walked towards the teacher's dining table at the front of the hall, Giles following them.  Hermione moved back towards the Gryffindor table while Draco, Blaise, Buffy and Willow made their way to the Slytherin table.  Professor Snape forewent the rest of dinner in favour of searching out the retreated Slytherin student, Pansy Parkinson, in order to fully understand why she had attempted to severely injure, if not kill, Buffy Summers.  

Claire, Keeta and Millicent were quick to begin questioning Buffy on what had happened earlier.  Dumbledore standing at the front table and clapping his hands, however, brought silence to the entire hall.

"Wow," Willow whispered quietly.  "Snyder'd never get that kind of response."

Buffy grinned and shook her head.  There was no way that the students at Sunnydale High would ever respect there fuehrer…ahem, principal, enough for that.  

"May I have your attention please," Dumbledore said.  "To answer the multitude of questions that you all must have, I have only two things to say.  Yes, the creatures that just attacked the school were vampires.  And yes, Miss Buffy Summers, a seventh year Slytherin student was the one to save us.  As many of you know, Miss Summers transferred here from a school in America.  Most of you believed her to merely be a muggle, but in actual fact, Miss Summers is the Slayer."

A chorus of 'wow' 'woah' 'cool' and 'wicked' broke out over the whole school.  Buffy was not normally one to blush, but she could feel her cheeks flaming brightly as students craned their necks to get better looks at the small blonde American girl.

"I must ask you, however, not to harass Miss Summers in any way.  Your questions will be answered eventually, but not at this point in time.  So…let us continue with dinner."

Dumbledore took his seat, and the hall was once again filled with noise.  

Keeta, Claire and Millicent all looked at their friend in awe.  "The Slayer!" Claire breathed.  "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"She wasn't allowed to, you dolt," Keeta replied for Buffy.  

"Guys, look, I know you're all gonna have questions, but…let's just leave them for a while, okay?" Buffy said.  "I swear, you will get answers, but not just yet."

The girls looked put out but they nodded steadily.  Keeta finally noticed the newcomer to the table.

"Who's your friend?" Keeta asked.

Willow flushed brightly as Claire and Millicent swung their attention to look at the redhead.

"Guys, this is Willow, my best friend from back-home.  Wills practises Wiccan magic," Buffy explained, knowing that even though the Slyetherins weren't as horrible as they were thought to be, they still tended to have very low opinions of muggles.  "Will, this is Claire, Keeta and Millicent." 

The Slayer looked across the table and saw someone very noticeably missing.  "Where's Pansy?"

"She went up to the dorms," Claire explained, exchanging dark looks with the three other Slytherin girls.  

Buffy gave them blank looks.  Apart from Pansy it didn't look as though any other students had left the Great Hall, so it wasn't as though the others had been frightened off by the vampire attack.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Draco asked.

"Why's she upstairs?"

"Well…after the 'her trying to kill you' thing, I think she feels slightly guilty about you saving her life," Blaise replied.

Buffy looked to her newest best friend with a blank expression.  "I did what?"

Blaise grinned at her friend's confused expression.

"You saved Pansy's life.  Those two vampires that you threw off a student…well, the student was Pansy," Blaise explained.

Buffy went silent for a moment.  She hadn't realised who it was that she'd saved.  She hadn't given another thought to whomever it was that she had pulled the vampires away from.  

"What we wanna know is why you didn't wait just a little bit longer," Millicent said darkly.

"Who's Pansy?" Willow asked quietly.

"Pansy Parkinson," Buffy replied.  "She's a Seventh Year Slytherin as well.  She and I never really hit it off."

"She tried to give you a bad name just after you started dating Draco," Blaise added.

"And she tried to kill you a few days ago," Draco finished.

Willow's eyes widened.  She couldn't imagine hating anyone enough to try and kill them.  She understood people trying to ruin someone else's reputation, she'd been tormented for most of her school life until she'd become friends with Buffy.  Everyone had left her alone after that, which was fine by her.  But even then, Willow had never wanted to physically kill someone who didn't like her.

"Do you think they'll throw her off the Quidditch team?" Banks, the sixth-year Slytherin Chaser, who was seated close enough to eavesdrop on the conversation, asked.

Draco's eyes darkened.  He hadn't thought of that.  And whilst he wasn't Pansy's biggest fan, he didn't want to have to go through the horror of having to train a new Chaser before the next match.  They were playing against Gryffindor in two weeks.  And, even though Pansy wasn't the best of Players, she could almost hold her own in the Quidditch matches.

"Where would we get a Chaser for the next match if they did kick her off?" Draco asked.

"Who cares?" Blaise asked.  "She deserves it.  Bloody bitch.  She could have killed us with that Bludger."

"Bludger?" Willow asked.

"It's an enchanted ball in Quidditch.  It flies around the pitch trying to knock the Players off their brooms.  You really don't want to get hit by one," Buffy said. 

"Unless you have Slayer reflexes and can catch them without even blinking an eye," Draco added.

Buffy grinned at him.  She was just glad that the secret that she'd been keeping from Draco was finally out in the open. She'd hated lying to him, and she hadn't been tremendously good at it either.   She knew he'd had trouble believing that she'd been able to defeat the vampiric boggart purely because she knew sword fighting skills and martial arts, and she knew that Draco had been sceptical about her appearance at Hogwarts seeing as she was seemingly a muggle.

"So, Willow, you practise Wiccan magic?" Claire asked with interest.

Willow looked slightly startled at being addressed.  She just nodded.

"That's wicked," Keeta gushed.  "Only very select people are allowed to study wiccan magic here."

"I didn't know you could study wiccan," Buffy commented.

"Granger's studying it," Draco said.  

"Isn't Granger studying _everything_?" Millicent asked with a snide giggle.

Willow leaned into Buffy, trying desperately to keep up with the conversation.

"Are they talking about Hermione?" she asked.

Buffy nodded.  It was strange having more knowledge than Willow about any particular topic, especially about magic.  It was even stranger to think that she would be as talented, or _more_ talented than Willow was magically.

"She's the brightest student at Hogwarts," Buffy explained.  Draco cleared his throat pointedly, and Buffy just rolled her eyes.  "Closely followed by the ever-wonderful Draco Malfoy."

"Ever-wonderful?" Blaise asked mockingly.  "What planet are you living on?"

"Planet Draco.  It's gorgeous there," Buffy said.

Draco couldn't help but smile, lean closer to Buffy and drop a gentle kiss on her shoulder, a favourite activity of his.  

"Before you two make me sick," Keeta began, smirking at the Slytherin couple, "have you all done your Potions homework?"

Draco groaned and buried his face miserably in Buffy's hair.  He shook his head sadly.  He hadn't really given it too much thought before Keeta had brought it up.  The others answered with an assortment of yes's, no's and half-done's.  He straightened and glanced towards the Professors table, his eyes scanning across the table.  Where the Potions master usually sat was Giles, rather than the slimy Severus Snape.

"Where's Snape?" he asked curiously.

The others looked to the front table, shrugging in a non-committal fashion before turning back to their far more interesting conversation that had very little to do with their least favourite Professor.

------------------------

Professor Snape sat staring at an incredibly uncomfortable Pansy Parkinson.  They were seated in the Slytherin Common Room, Pansy with her hands twisting nervously in her lap.  

"You could have killed her, do you understand that?" Snape demanded angrily.

Pansy just nodded, unable to speak, for fear of her voice wavering.

"You understand of course that you can no longer be a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team," Snape continued.  "And you will serve detention with me for the next four weeks."

"Yes sir," she whispered quietly.  She knew she deserved no less, but it was still a real blow to be taken from the Quidditch team.  

"I'd suggest getting some rest," Snape said, his voice still low and angry.  Whilst he may have been suggesting for her to rest, he was really telling her that she was confined to her room for the rest of the evening.  He'd never been so disappointed in a student as he was now.  Enarly killing someone, especially someone in the same house was not to be tolerated, even by Severus Snape.  He'd had several students try to do something similar to him, so he could sympathise with Buffy Summers completely.

Snape stood up and left Pansy Parkinson to her tears and regrets.  Snape began his walk back to the Great Hall, wondering how on earth Slytherin was going to get a new Player before the next Quidditch match.

-----

Gee, guess where I'm going with that sub-plot…

As always, much thanks for your reviews!!  Greatly appreciated!

Toodles.


	37. Arrangements

Woah, hold up…this chapter looks strangely familiar.  *grins* Yeah, there's a reason for that.  I'm an idiot.  (Don't all rush at once to reassure me)  What happened is this, I labelled my chapters wrong.  I ended up with two chapter thirty-fives, and so, went straight for thirty-six, which is actually meant to be thirty-seven.  So, this is 37, but was actually last weeks update of 36.  So…where's the new update.  The new update is actually the previous chapter.  Weird, huh?  Thirty-six is rightfully in its place where it belongs, and this chapter has been relabelled with the RIGHT number on it, and is in the right spot.  Sorry for any inconvenience and/or confusion.  Many thanks to The Graymare for pointing out that something wasn't fitting in properly.  (Whoops!)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: ARRANGEMENTS

**Sunday, 14th March 1999**

Willow was staring in wide-eyed fascination at just about everything in Dumbledore's office.  Once again, Fawkes the Phoenix had flown towards Buffy, and Dumbledore finally understood that the Phoenix's first judgement of Buffy had been correct after all.  The Phoenix always had been a brilliant judge in character and Dumbledore had ignored it in favour of what he'd been told by a Council that held no trust for the Magical world.  He wanted to kick himself…no one would have been able to tell beneath the robes anyway.

"Miss Rosenburg, you'll be sharing a room with Miss Summers," Dumbledore explained.  "I've had Professor McGonagall transfigure another bed into the room.  Rupert, if you wish to stay the evening, we can arrange a room for you as well."

"I think it would be best for me to go back to Sunnydale," Giles replied.  "See if I can gather the others.  Perhaps give our excuses to Principal Snyder so we can spend a few days here.  We'll be back by morning."

Buffy grinned widely.  A few days with her friends at Hogwarts.  Nothing could have been better in her books.

A portkey back to Sunnydale was arranged for Giles, and after a quick goodbye to Buffy and Willow, he disappeared from Dumbledore's office, leaving the two Sunnydale girls seated with the Headmaster.

"Now, Miss Summers, your secret is officially out," Dumbledore reminded her.  "I can safely say that you'll be drowned under a barrage of questions from your fellow students."

Buffy sighed.  That wasn't exactly what she wanted to happen.  

"Perhaps rather than answering the same question several hundred times over, you'd be willing to tell it seven times," Dumbledore suggested.

Buffy looked at him blankly for a moment before working out what he was suggesting. 

"You want me to explain everything in front of everyone?" she asked, somewhat horrified by the thought of it.

"If you'd speak to each of the grades separately.  I'm hoping to organise it so that the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes can be combined for one lesson within each of the grades.  That is, if you're willing to speak to them," he explained.

Buffy thought about it for a moment, knowing that unless it was explained, she would never have a moment of peace ever again.

"Won't people wonder why I'm at Hogwarts though?" Buffy asked.

"I had taken that into consideration," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully.  "And if you wish to tell them the truth of that matter as well, then that will be allowed."

Buffy thought about it a moment longer.  She looked to Willow who nodded encouragingly.  She looked back to Dumbledore and sighed.

"Well, I may as well," she conceded.  "When?"

"Well, you're first lesson tomorrow is Defence Against the Dark Arts with your own year, so why not start there," Dumbledore suggested.  "I'll be in contact with you tomorrow morning at breakfast to make arrangements for the other classes."

Buffy nodded.  "Alright.  Deal."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, a smile on his face.  "Now, perhaps you and Miss Rosenburg should head back to the Slytherin Common Room."

Buffy nodded and grabbed Willow by the hand, dragging her from Dumbledore's office.  They raced down the spiral staircase and into the hallways, moving towards the dungeons where the Slytherin Common Room was located.

"This place is so amazing Buffy," Willow said, taking in the moving portraits on the walls, and the ghosts that floated through the corridors.

"It's definitely better than I thought it was gonna be," Buffy admitted.  "When I first saw this place I was half worried that I was gonna be locked in the dungeons or something."

Willow giggled a little.  They reached the Slytherin Common Room doory, though Willow knew she would have missed it without Buffy steering her in the right direction.  Buffy spoke the password, but nothing happened.  She checked her surroundings, and knew that she was in the right place.  Why then was the door not opening?

"What's wrong?" Willow asked worriedly.

"It's not opening," Buffy said, her brows wrinkling in confusion.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" 

"I've been coming here every day for the last month and a half," Buffy said.  "You'd think that I'd be able to remember where the Common Room is.  I mean, I'm the fricken Slayer so-"

The door suddenly slid open, and Buffy looked at it in surprise.

"What the hell…"

"Maybe it was just a delayed reaction," Willow suggested.

Buffy mentally went over her last sentence and cracked up laughing.  Willow just looked at her best friend, wondering if Buffy had finally lost it.  Still laughing, Buffy led Willow down the corridor towards the main area of the Common Room, where most of the Slytherins were waiting to catch a glimpse of her.  Buffy rolled her eyes and spotted Blaise in the crowd.

"Way to change the password without telling me," she said with a grin.

Blaise just laughed and pointed towards Draco.  "It was his suggestion."

Buffy shook her head in disbelief.  "_You _made the password 'Slayer'?" she asked incredulously.

He just grinned and leant forward to kiss her.  Her mock-anger forgotten, she sank into his embrace.  They finally broke apart amid hoots, howls and catcalls.  

Buffy turned to face them.  "You lot should be in bed by now," she said sternly.

Draco laughed as all of the Slytherins below Seventh Year raced to do as Buffy said.  The Slayer just rolled her eyes and plopped onto the now-free couch.  Willow took a seat on one side of her, while Draco sat on the other side.

"You're scarier than Snape now," Blaise teased her friend.

Buffy thought about the implications of that and didn't know whether to grin or scowl.  Whilst it wasn't the best to have all of the younger years terrified of her, it was sort of funny.

"What did Dumbledore want?" Draco asked curiously.

"Oh, just the usual," Buffy replied nonchalantly.  "He wants me to get up in front of all the DADA classes and explain everything about Slaying and stuff."

Draco's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.  He gaped at her in disbelief and the other Slytherin Seventh-Year students did the same.

"He wants you to what?" Blaise asked incredulously.

Buffy shared a grin with Willow who was on the verge of a giggling fit.

"He wants me to talk to every single grade about the whole slaying gig.  Could be kinda fun," Buffy said.

"Ooo, what are you gonna tell them about Ethan?" Willow asked, with a slightly evil grin.

Buffy's eyes lit up with all of the possible opportunities that came with that suggestion.  She deflated as she remembered their truce.  There would be no point in bad-mouthing the Professor, considering he would still be a teacher within the school.  She didn't want to make things difficult for Ethan…actually, she did, but that it turn would make things difficult for Dumbledore, and that wasn't something that she particularly wanted to do.

"Nothing," she replied dejectedly.  "He's still someone who's technically meant to have my respect."

"I still can't believe our Professor was evil," Blaise said with a grin.  Learning that her mysterious friend was actually the Slayer had definitely been a high point of her day.  It didn't make her like Buffy any more or any less, but it certainly made her understand Buffy's need to be secretive.

"Well, on a scale of evilness, he actually wasn't that bad," Buffy said.  

"Yeah, he didn't even try to sacrifice you to some flesh-eating demon," Willow chimed in with a grin.  She thought about it for a moment and the grin dropped.  "Oh…wait a minute…he did."

Buffy couldn't help but laugh.  

"But he didn't succeed," Willow qualified.  "So…"

"You are going to tell us _everything _aren't you Buffy?" Claire asked plaintively.

"You guys seriously want to hear about three years worth of slaying?" Buffy asked sceptically.

She was met with eager nods all around.  She sighed and knew that she wasn't going to get out of it any time soon.  She wondered whether or not she was going to be made to tell the same stories over and over again.  She hoped that her friends would at least help to tell some of the tales.

"Well, hopefully Wills and the others will help me tell some of it," Buffy said, nudging Willow slightly.

Willow paled and looked at Buffy with wide eyes.

"Talk in front of other people?" Willow asked worriedly.

Blaise looked at the redheaded girl's absolute horror and chuckled slightly.

"Crowd-shy?" Blaise asked.

"Oh, it's not just crowds that I'm shy in front of.  I mean…talking…public-speaking…I don't like doing it.  There's just…rambling and babbling and then…well, badness.  See?" Willow said quickly.  She turned to look at Buffy with a glare on her face.  "You're supposed to stop me when I do that."

"I've missed you doing that," Buffy replied with an easy grin.

Willow couldn't help but smile back.  

Claire yawned loudly, setting off a chain reaction in Millicent, Keeta and Blaise, who glared at the other three.  She checked her watch and knew that they needed to go up to their dorm room if they actually wanted to get any sleep for the evening.

"We should turn in," Blaise said.

The others looked reluctant, but they quickly agreed.  With hugs and goodnights, the group turned in, leaving Willow, Draco and Buffy standing in the Common Room as the last ones down there for the evening.  Willow looked away, pretending to be fascinated by the walls as Draco and Buffy hugged tightly.

"You'll be alright?" Draco asked.

Buffy just nodded and kissed him gently.  "I'll be fine.  Slayer's honour."

He grinned and kissed her forehead, reluctantly stepping away from her.  

"Goodnight," he whispered, a smile on his face.  He stepped fully away and offered a grin to Willow.  "Night."

"Goodnight Draco.  It was good meeting you," Willow said.

"You too," he replied honestly.  He turned away and headed to his own dorm rooms, leaving Buffy still basking in the warm fuzzies that she always felt when Draco was close.  

Willow grinned as Buffy stared absently at the door Draco had gone through.  Eventually the Slayer snapped out of it and ooked to her best friend who was smirking at her.  Buffy just rolled her eyes, grabbed Willow by the arm and dragged her towards her private room.

Willow gasped as she took in the room which now had two four-poster beds in it, as well as the suddenly smaller training area.

"Wow…this place is gorgeous," Willow complimented her.

"Yeah I know," Buffy replied with a grin.  "Everyone else thinks that I'm just about the luckiest person in the world for getting a private room.  Blaise keeps complaining about Pansy's snoring."

Willow wandered through the room, looking over Buffy's belonging's.  She picked up the framed picture of the Scoobies that Buffy had by her bed.  The redhead couldn't help but smile at the thought of having all of their friends at Hogwarts.  It would definitely be an event to remember.

----

Hehe…yeah, for those of you who missed the note at the top (it happens…who among us really reads author's notes anyway?!) the real update for 21/09/03 (or 09/21/03 depending where you're from) was the previous chapter…


	38. Breakfast

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: BREAKFAST  
  


**Monday, 15th March 1999**

Buffy and Willow sat down to breakfast, Buffy still getting curious glances from every student in the entire school.  Many of the braver students had walked past to see her as close up as they could.  Buffy just offered them smiles and continued eating breakfast, trying to act as normally as possible.  It was interesting not having to hide the fact that she was the Slayer from anyone.  It was refreshing, but slightly annoying at the same time.

"Don't look now, but I think Weasley's just completely fallen in love with you," Draco sneered, glaring at the redheaded Gryffindor boy.  

Buffy turned to look at Ron, who went a bright shade of red and tried to look interested in his conversation with Hermione.  Hermione just offered Buffy a smile and a wave, rolling her eyes at Ron's behaviour.

After a high does of caffeine though, Buffy began bouncing with excitement.  "When do you think the others are gonna get here?" she asked, looking at Willow who was enthusiastic about the visit, but no where near as bouncy.

"Professor Dumbledore said sometime this morning," Willow said.

Buffy sighed and continued eating her breakfast.  

------------------------

Outside in the cool morning air, there was a loud pop as six people suddenly appeared as though out of nowhere.  They adjusted to their surroundings quite quickly, and four curious faces turned to look at Hogwarts castle.

"Great googalie moogalie."

"Now why couldn't California have schools like _this_?"

"It's uh…large."

"Cool."

Giles chuckled at Xander, Cordelia, Joyce and Oz's reactions.  He could still remember his own first impressions regarding Hogwarts, and they had been quite similar.

"Come," Professor Dumbledore said, beginning to lead the group of Sunnydale people towards the school.  "Knowing Miss Summers, she's probably bouncing on the edge of her seat wanting to see you all."

The group all smiled at the description of the Slayer, all of them able to visualise the often-hyperactive girl.  

They made their (wide-eyed) way into the Entrance Hall.

"Perhaps it would be best for me to bring Miss Summers to you," Dumbledore suggested.  "I very much doubt she'll be able to contain any loud squeals when she sees you all."

Before anyone could protest, Dumbledore had slipped into the Great Hall, leaving the Scoobies (and Joyce) alone in the Entrance Hall.

Even though the group was in the Entrance Hall, they still heard and recognised the excited squeal that came from the Slayer inside.  They exchanged grins and prepared themselves for the Slayer to run out the doors of the Great Hall.  They didn't have to wait long.

The doors flew open, and the group barely had time to register what had happened before there were attacked by something with blonde hair.  Joyce was the first to be tackled into a bone-crushing hug.  She recovered quickly, hugging her daughter back with as much strength as she could muster.

Tears came to Joyce's eyes, and she could feel the tears from Buffy's eyes beginning to seep through her shirt.  She just held her daughter tightly and stroked Buffy's hair.  It hit her just how much her daughter had missed her in that moment.  Almost a full minute later, Buffy finally let go and offered her mother a sheepish smile.

"Miss me?" Joyce teased lightly, her own tears streaming down her face.

Buffy just laughed and squeezed her mother's hand.  "Understatement."

The Slayer turned to look at the rest of her friends, all of who were grinning widely.  She flung herself at Xander next and found herself being picked up and twirled slightly.

"God it's good to see you again Xand," Buffy whispered.

"The feelings extremely mutual Buff," Xander replied.

She took a step back, leaving her hands on his waist, getting a good look at him.

"You look like you've been working out."

He smiled and nodded.  The patrolling he'd done to help cover for Buffy had done wonders for him.

Buffy turned next to Cordelia.  The two girls hugged, trying to achieve an air of feigned casualness, but failing miserably.

"You look good Cor," Buffy complimented her.

Cordelia grinned and looked the Slayer up and down.

"And you look like a Catholic school girl, but…hey, we can't all be as perfect as me," Cordelia teased.

Buffy grinned and gave Cordelia another quick hug.  "It's good to see that you haven't changed a bit."

Cordelia just rolled her eyes and let go of the Slayer.  Buffy then turned to the ever calm and laconic Oz.  

"Do we hug?" she asked him.

He flashed her a tooth-bearing grin and stepped towards her, the two shortest members of the Scoobies embracing tightly but quickly.

"I'm excited on the inside," he assured her.

She grinned widely and nodded, wiping away her tears.  

Willow exited the Great Hall and grinned widely as she saw the Scoobies assembled in the Entrance Hall.  Draco followed behind her, his usual smirk replaced by a neutral expression which, if Buffy had been paying attention, she would have recognised as nervous fear.

"Hey guys!" Willow greeted cheerily.  "Isn't this place neat?"

The Scoobies all nodded enthusiastically, and Oz stepped forward to hug his girlfriend.  Xander was the first to notice Draco.

"Gah!  It's Spike!  And…he's shrunk."

Buffy turned and saw Draco looking at Xander in confusion.  She smiled and reached her hand out to him.  Draco took it and came to stand next to her.  

"Everyone, this is Draco Malfoy.  Drake, meet the Scoobies.  Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Oz…uh…just Oz I suppose, and…my mom," Buffy introduced.

Draco's eyes went wide as his girlfriend introduced her mother.  He hadn't been expecting her mother to come to Hogwarts.  He wasn't sure why he'd thought that, but he hadn't worried about having to meet her mother.  He forced himself to calm down and greeted them with his most charming smile.

"Pleasure to meet you all," he said politely.

Buffy smiled, thankful that he hadn't showed the sneering arrogance that he sometimes greeted unfamiliar situations with.  It was a nice change.

"There is _no way_ that that's your natural hair colour," Cordelia said.  Buffy and Xander looked at her in horror, but Draco just smirked.  

"I could say the same to you princess," he replied.

Cordelia's jaw dropped and Xander couldn't help but grin.  He definitely liked a guy who wouldn't take any crap from Cordelia Chase.  Most men fell all over themselves just to be noticed by the great Queen C, but it was obvious to Xander where Draco's affections lay.  

Joyce stepped forward and Draco dropped the smirk.  He looked at Buffy's mother and nodded politely to her.  Joyce just looked to Buffy for an explanation.

"The two of you are dating?" she asked.

Buffy nodded.  "For a little over a month," she replied.

Joyce nodded and quickly mulled over the new information.  She sized Draco up quickly.  She could tell by the way he held himself that he was the definitive bad-boy.  She didn't know what it was about her daughter that made her fall for men with streaks of badness within them, but Joyce also knew that her daughter would never date someone who was completely evil.  So, whoever this boy was, he obviously had some good within him to make Buffy want to be with him.

"Does he have a pulse?" Joyce asked.

Buffy flushed and Draco couldn't help but laugh a little.  He held out his wrist for Joyce to check.  Joyce laughed slightly and made a show of checking for his pulse.  When she was satisfied, she nodded happily.

"Well, as long as you treat my little girl right I'll be happy for the two of you," Joyce announced.

Buffy smiled happily, thankful that her mother hadn't just judged Draco based on his appearance.  She looked over the group and lost the smile as she noticed the missing member.

"Where's Angel?" she questioned.

"It's kinda sunny outside," Oz answered.  

"Dumbledore said he'd go back for Angel and bring him tonight," Cordelia added.

Buffy nodded, grateful that the dark vampire hadn't completely rejected the idea of coming to Hogwarts to see her.  She really needed to talk with him and settle everything before she could be completely happy with Draco.  Closure only really worked when both people were about to say goodbye to each other.   

"So…what do you guys wanna do first?" Buffy asked the group.

She was met by shrugs and general murmurs of the group being unsure.  Xander's stomach grumbled audibly, and Buffy just grinned.

"Right on time Xand.  We're just in the middle of breakfast anyway," Buffy explained.  "Come on."

The Scoobies followed Buffy into the Great Hall, most of the students stopping to stare at the new-comers as they entered.  Joyce followed Giles up to the Professors table, while the Scoobies settled themselves at the Slytherin table, much to the excitement of most of the Seventh Year girls.

After a quick round of introductions, and the general confusion over food that appeared magically in front of the Californian group, the Scoobies, though it was mostly just Xander, were eating heartily, talking through mouthfuls of food.

Buffy was content to sit back and watch her much-missed friends.  As cliché as it was, Buffy knew that her heart would burst with happiness soon.  She'd forgotten just how badly she'd been missing them all.  The Scoobies managed to not be too intimidated by the students of Hogwarts looking at them without subtlety.  

Xander as always was being loud and obnoxious between bites of food.  Oz was quietly speaking with Willow, who was grinning widely as she looked around the room.  Cordelia was chatting happily with Blaise, the two girls scaring Buffy by how well they got on.  

Buffy smiled happily and leant her head on Draco's shoulder.  Draco looked towards her and smiled softly at the look on her face.  He  pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head and reached for another bread roll, laughing at Xander's comical re-enactment of a Scooby patrol from the previous week using two sausages as a vampire and himself.  

He had to admit that Buffy had been right.  Muggles weren't as bad as he thought they were.  In fact, the Scoobies seemed to be incredibly decent people who would make wonderful friends.  

And Draco Malfoy found himself wondering for the first time in his entire life, just what _would_ living in the muggle world be like.  

-----

Sorry for the delay in posting…been nuts around here lately.  

I've finally worked out how to end this damn thing (many thanks John for your suggestions…ur brilliant!)

Uh…Lisette, will you start posting Equinox if I update ITB and BoS and AWF…and count this as the WYD update?  Cos I'll do it, honest…but you gotta promise.

DKG.


	39. Teaching

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: TEACHING

**Monday, 15th March 1999**

Buffy had never been a fan of speaking publicly.  She was far more confident about it than Willow, though that wasn't really saying all that much.  

So, when she found herself standing in front of fifty Seventh-Year students, she was surprised that she was actually trembling nervously.  The students were all whispering amongst themselves, and Buffy could make out snippets of their conversations.  Most of them were speaking about the events of the previous night's fight.  

Harry, Ron and Hermione were seated close to the front, Harry and Ron just now finding out from Hermione about why Buffy was truly at Hogwarts.  At first they were horrified by the thought that Buffy had killed someone.  When Hermione explained that Buffy had been falsely accused, they both breathed sighs of relief.

Buffy glanced at Draco nervously, and he winked at her encouragingly.  She glanced at her friends and her mom, taking strength from their presence.  Having them there to support her meant more than she could express.  Knowing that they believed her about what had happened was the main part of what had frightened her about leaving them all behind.  

She cleared her throat and got immediate results.  The entire room went deathly silent.  The Scoobies (minus Oz) laughed at the sheer rapt attention of the audience.  Buffy glared at them, but they couldn't contain their smiles.  She rolled her eyes and looked at the sea of familiar faces.

Blaise was seated next to Draco, grinning widely, and the other Slytherin girls seemed to be as excited to hear Buffy's tale as the other Houses were.

"Well, uh…I guess you all know who I am and what I do," Buffy began nervously.  "And seeing as Professor Rayne taught us about the Slayer a few weeks ago, I'm gonna assume that you've realised that a Vampire Slayer isn't actually a myth after all.  They're as real as you and…well, me I guess."

"How long have you been a Slayer?" Ron called out.

"Three years.  I was Called in my junior year back in Los Angeles when I was fifteen," Buffy replied.  "At first I didn't believe it.  I know that to most of you guys, magic and mystical creatures are common everyday things.  I was raised muggle, so I had no clue that this stuff was even real until my first Watcher found me and told me that I was a Slayer."

"If Slayers are supposed to work alone, why do you have friends who help you?" a random Ravenclaw girl asked.

Buffy looked to Giles for help.  He smiled gently and stood up, removing his glasses and shifting into lecture mode.

"Potential Slayers are usually found at a very young age," he began, "and thus, they're training begins during their forming years.  Buffy went undetected by the Council, and so when she was finally found, she was living a normal life in Los Angeles.  Her first Watcher allowed her to stay in contact with her friends and continue attending school rather than taking her away from it all.  When I was assigned to Buffy to be her Watcher, I knew that there was no point trying to enforce the Council's rules onto such a…"

"Free spirit?" Oz supplied helpfully.

Giles nodded and smiled fondly at Buffy.  She smiled back at him and grinned at Oz's description.

"You keep mentioning your first Watcher," Harry began timidly, almost knowing the answer, but drawn to asking the question anyway.  "What happened to…uh, him?"

Buffy's eyes clouded and Harry immediately regretted the question.  Draco glared at the Gryffindor boy, but Harry was used to that sort of treatment from the Slytherin Prince.

"He was killed by a Master Vampire back in LA.  I watched him die," Buffy said quietly.

The room went silent for a moment, before Hermione frantically thought up another question to try and lighten the mood.

"What's your favourite weapon?" the Gryffindor girl asked.

Buffy shot her friend a grateful look and Hermione smiled back encouragingly.

"Crossbow, most definitely," Buffy replied, grinning widely.  "Flying fatalities."

"If you're the 'one girl in all the world'…why are you at Hogwarts?" a Hufflepuff boy, Ernie MacMillian, called out.

Buffy breathed in deeply.  She'd been expecting this question and had decided to answer it as honestly as she could.  

"Well…about two years ago, I went up against this vamp who called himself the Master.  He's the only vamp who ever beat me in a fight.  He killed me…and I killed him," Buffy said.

The room went into hysterics at Buffy's words, nearly everyone beginning to shout out questions as to what Buffy meant by what she'd said.  Draco, Blaise, Hermione and the Scoobies were all silent, smirking at the pandemonium in the room.  Harry and Ron were looking at Hermione, who had that annoyingly smug look about her that she got whenever she knew what was happening when they had no clue.

Buffy looked to the Scoobies for help.  All of them just grinned at her, finding her situation incredibly entertaining.  The Slayer in front of a group of kids and unable to do anything to control the situation.

Strangely enough it was Oz who managed to get everyone quiet.  A piercing wolf-whistle got everyone's attention and the quiet young man retook his seat.  Buffy shot him a thankful look and he nodded calmly, while Willow grinned with pride at he boyfriend.

"Long story short, he drowned me.  My best friend Xander Harris, used CPR and managed to get me breathing again," Buffy said.

All eyes swung to Xander who immediately went red under the scrutiny of the entire room.  He half-stood and mock-bowed to the crowd.  

"So…this meant that I was actually dead momentarily.  It was long enough for another Slayer to be Called.  Kendra, a Jamaican girl was Called, but she was killed by Drusilla, the vampire that you saw me and the Professors fight against the other night.  After Kendra died, another girl named Faith was Called," Buffy said.

The Scoobies all scowled at the mention of Faith, and Buffy had had trouble keeping her contempt for the other Slayer out of her tone.  

"Yeah, but _why_ are you at Hogwarts?" Ernie persisted.

It seemed that a lot of the Seventh Years were curious about the answer to that particular question as murmurs of agreement went through the room.  Buffy sighed and leant back against the Professors desk.

"That's kind of a long story," she replied.

"She was framed for murder," Xander filled in.

Buffy scowled at her friend.  "Apparently not that long."

It took ten minutes to explain the accident in the alley with Faith and the Deputy Mayor and the aftermath of that fight.  

Buffy then moved on to other topics, explaining to the students what being a Slayer actually entailed.  The nightly patrols, the training sessions, the evenings of research, the prophetic dreams and everything else that came with being the Slayer.

The students sat in rapt silence, taking in every word.  The girls were all wondering what it would be like if _they_ were the ones to be Called as Slayers, and the boys were salivating over the thought of beautiful girls fighting in tight fitting outfits.

In the last five minutes of class, a Gryffindor Seventh Year, Seamus Finnigan, raised his hand and asked the one question that had been haunting Draco and Blaise for the last few days.

"You said that you were here for rehabilitation…if you do manage to prove that you're innocent…are you going to be staying at Hogwarts?" Seamus asked.

Draco and Blaise sat up a little straighter in their seats, leaning forward as if to hear the answer better.

Buffy looked to her two closest Hogwarts friends and smiled sadly at them.

"That all depends on what Professor Dumbledore thinks of it all," Buffy replied honestly.  "As much as a part of me wants to stay here with you guys…a bigger part of me is telling me to go back home.  I've got responsibilities there."

Draco's eyes were downcast and he could feel a lot of the Slytherin girls turning to look at him with pity.  They'd seen the changes he'd gone through since meeting Buffy and they could only imagine what would happen to Draco if Buffy actually left Hogwarts.

Giles' attention was caught by movement at the door.  

"Speaking of Professor Dumbledore," Giles began, looking at the elderly wizard as the Headmaster stepped through the door, "what can we do for you?"

Dumbledore was not looking happy.  In fact, Buffy could tell that the wizard was extremely unhappy about something.  Bordering on angry even.  She'd only seen that look in her first weeks at Hogwarts.  It was reminiscent of her first day at Hogwarts when Dumbledore had explained everything about her situation to her.  Whatever Dumbledore was here to say was not going to be good.

"My apologies for interrupting Miss Summers," Dumbledore said politely.  "It seems as though you have a visitor who would not agree to wait until after class."

Buffy couldn't help but hope that it was Angel, but then again, if it was the dark-haired vampire, why would Dumbledore be so upset about it.

The Headmaster moved further into the room and three other men followed him.  Buffy froze in shock and felt her entire world sink.  The classroom fell silent when they saw the look on Buffy's face.  They didn't want to know what would have a Slayer of all people so shocked.

"Miss Summers," one of the tweed-clad men said, a smug smile on his face.  "It seems as though you have broken the rules that were stipulated to you at the beginning of your stay here at Hogwarts."

Buffy glared at him.  "Mr Travers…you have no idea what you're talking about."

"I believe I do my dear," Quentin Travers replied.  "You see, you were asked to not reveal your identity to anyone under any circumstance.  Your little display the other evening was in direct breach of that rule."

"What, you would have preferred for me not to have done anything?" she asked furiously.  

"Regardless of what could have happened, you are in breach of the agreements that were made on your behalf," Travers said looking directly at Giles.  

The former Watcher scowled at his old mentor, wondering how anyone could seriously be that heartless.  

"So, what now?" Buffy asked impatiently.  As flippant as she was being about all of it, on the inside she was terrified.  She knew that the Council had ways of doing things that wouldn't end well for her at all.  She was terrified of being carted off to the Council property and being re-trained.  From the sounds of it, their methods were not something that she wanted to be involved with.

"Now Miss Summers, you pack your possessions," Travers replied.  

"You can't make her go!" Draco yelled, standing up to defend his girlfriend.

Buffy sent him a pleading look, wanting him to stay out of this.  It was bad enough that the Seventh Years and the Scoobies had to witness this.  It was tremendously humiliating, and not something that she would have chosen for them to have to watch.  

"And who might you be young man?" Travers demanded.

Buffy shook her head frantically at him.  Draco got the message, knowing that these men were not people to be trifled with.  In a way, they reminded him of his father and his father's friends.  

"That's none of your business, _sir_," Draco added, sneeringly.  

Travers smirked.  "And _this_ is none of _your_ business young man," Travers replied.

Draco felt himself about to lose control, but he looked at Buffy's pleading eyes.  She was silently begging him to stay out of this.  She knew that the Council could make Draco's life a living hell, and she didn't want that for him.  

"Miss Summers…I would suggest gathering your belongings," Travers repeated.  "We leave in twenty minutes.  You're being taken to Council Grounds."

"The hell she is!" Giles yelled, stepping forward. 

One of Travers' companions stopped Giles by removing a gun from his jacket and pointing it at the former Watcher.  Giles stopped in his tracks.

"It's only a tranquilliser gun," Giles observed.

Travers nodded.  "Yes.  And no.  Tranquilliser in your case," Travers said.  The man re-aimed the gun and pulled the trigger.  Before anyone could duck out of the way, a small silver dart was sticking out of Buffy's shoulder.  She looked at it in shock and pulled the cylinder out of her skin, wincing slightly.  "Muscle relaxant in her case."

Buffy felt the familiar effect of the organic compound make its way through her body.  She'd been without the drug for nearly two weeks now, and having the drug back inside her again brought her anger to the foreground.  Before she could do anything about it, ala ripping apart Travers and his men, she felt the drug take affect in her system.

"You asshole," she muttered.  

She looked at the small dart in her hand and decided to test a theory.  With accuracy and precision that was slowly waning, she quickly threw the dart at the man with the dart gun, hitting him directly in the chest.  Within a second, he'd dropped to the ground completely unconscious.

Travers scowled as he looked at the fallen Watcher.  He took a step towards Buffy, but Giles quickly stepped in front of the girl.

"You'll not be taking her," Giles said angrily.

"You cannot stop me Rupert," Travers replied, chuckling slightly at the attempt to stop him.  "The Council has its methods you know."

The third Watcher knelt beside the fallen gunman and administered a serum into the man's bloodstream.  Ten seconds later, the fallen Watcher was waking up, groaning groggily.  He unsteadily got to his feet and took a moment to regain his composure.  He glared at the Slayer who he could barely make out behind the ex-Watcher.

"Bloody bitch," he muttered angrily.

"Miss Summers, unless you would like us to begin taking action on your…friends, I suggest you do as we asked and _get your belongings,_" Travers said, his voice raising a few decibels for the last three words.

Buffy scowled.  She stepped out from behind Giles, who uttered his protest.  She walked past Travers who smirked with satisfaction. The pompous Watcher turned to walk out behind Buffy, but the Slayer wasn't going without a fight.  Before either of the two Council lackey's could register the attack, Buffy had decked the already shaky Watcher and had kicked the third Watcher with what was left of her strength.  Unfortunately for her, she wasn't stronger than they were, and the third Watcher was able to recover quickly.  

He slammed a fist into Buffy's face, sending her sprawling across the floor as Giles raced forward to interceded.  The third Watcher pulled a gun from his inner pocket and pointed it at Buffy, stopping Giles in his tracks.  He knew that it wasn't a tranquilliser loaded within the weapon.

Some of the students who'd been raised muggle gasped at the sight of the weapon and backed away. Giles finally registered that the students were there as well, and he knew that the Council would have no qualms about killing his Slayer in front of a group of people.  The Council could get away with cold-blooded murder, and there was nothing that anyone could do about it.

Buffy sat up, rubbing her cheek tenderly.  Her eyes met Draco's which were frantic with worry and anger.  She smiled softly at him before turning her attention back to the Watcher who had the gun trained on her.  She stood slowly and glared at Travers.

"I think perhaps we should just forgo packing your belongs," Travers said cruelly.  "We're leaving."

Giles looked imploringly at Professor Dumbledore who shook his head sadly.

"The Ministry of Magic and the Council of Watchers, whilst their relationship is complex at best, have agreed that we will not meddle in each other's affairs.  Having Buffy come here in the first place took a lot of persuasion," Dumbledore explained.

Draco stood and angrily approached the former Watcher and the Headmaster.

"You let her be taken," he said coldly.  "And you're the one who's going to get her back."

"And how do you suggest we go about that, huh mini-Spike?" Xander asked, angry at the events that had just taken place.

Draco went silent for a moment.  He searched through ever piece of information that he'd ever heard about Buffy, about the Council and about why Buffy was at Hogwarts.

"Easy," he finally said.  "We're going to prove once and for all that she's innocent."

----

Grrrr…

I never realised how fricken similar this whole thing is to Witch's Family.

I've been trying to think of a diff way to play this out, but nothing's coming, and seeing as how I would very much like to finish this fic, you may just have to live with the similar storyline.  Don't worry, it's not exactly the same, but the basics of it kinda is.  I am aware of this, so…shhhhh. ;)  

If anyone has any brilliant suggestions, I'd love to hear them, cos I have seriously run out of inspiration for this thing.  And as a friend of mine pointed out, it'd be cruel and unusual to just discontinue this thing when I've got nearly over 900 reviews (you guys are awesome btw!!)  

Toodles.

DKG.

(Oh, go check out Lisette's Equinoxium, it's fricken brilliant!)


	40. The Council

CHAPTER FORTY: THE COUNCIL

**Monday, 15th March**

Buffy had never really thought too much about what the Council of Watcher's grounds would actually look like.  What she hadn't been expecting though was to see a huge castle like building with a lake beside it.  Her eyes widened, suitably impressed.  

It had nothing on Hogwarts, but it was far more than she'd been expecting.

The Watcher's roughly manhandled her out of the car that they'd used to drive from the train station to the Council Manor.  She was dragged up a flight of stairs and into a room with marble tiling and a spiral staircase.

"Welcome to the Council Manor, Miss Summers," Travers said, his voice not at all welcoming.  "While you may not find the grounds as…enticing as Hogwarts, I am sure that you will be…adequately taken care of."

Buffy glared at the man.  "Just one question Travers…if you hate Hogwarts so badly, why'd you let me go there in the first place?"

Travers scowled.  "That, unfortunately, was not my decision," he replied angrily.  "One of the Directors heard highly of the School and when your former Watcher requested for you to be sent there, one of the Directors of the Council agreed to it."

She was lead through corridor after corridor towards the back of the building until they reached a closed off section.  One of the lackeys opened a set of double doors that led into a massive training room that rivalled any gym that Buffy had ever been in.  The floor was lined with training mats with equipment all around the room, several punching bags hanging from the ceiling, and targets at the far end of the room.  

Buffy whistled softly, genuinely impressed despite her hatred of anything to do with the Council.  Travers smiled smugly.

"This is where you'll be spending a good portion of your days for the next few months, provided you comply with a few conditions," Travers informed her.  "You'll also be taking lessons in Latin and Greek from some of our tutors within the Council."

Buffy scowled at the word months.  She'd been momentarily distracted by the extensive gym, but reality was beginning to set back in.  This was definitely not a good thing.  Not to mention, Travers had said something about 'conditions' to her staying at the Manor.  She wasn't entirely certain that she wanted to know what those conditions entailed.

The doors opened again and a strict looking woman with her hair tied back in a tight bun entered the room.  She wore a knee length navy blue skirt with a matching jacket, and reminded the Slayer of Gwendolyn Post.

"Ah, Miss Pryce," Travers greeted the woman.  "This is Buffy Summers.  Miss Summers, this is Miss Pryce…your new Watcher."

Buffy looked the woman up and down, terribly unimpressed by her.  She reminded her of Wesley in so many ways.  The posture, the self-righteous glint in her eyes and that superior way she carried herself.  

"Pryce…as in Wyndham-Pryce?" Buffy asked.

"That's right Miss Summers," Miss Pryce replied, her voice clipped and incredibly British.  "Mr Wyndham-Pryce is my half-brother on my mother's side."

Buffy contained the urge to roll her eyes and instead settled on nodding.  

Travers clapped his hands together and looked at Buffy with that annoying smug smile on his face.

"Well, Miss Summers, I'll leave you and Miss Pryce to get acquainted.  I'm certain your new _watcher_ will be keen to evaluate your performance within different areas of training," Travers said.  

"Look, I don't need a new Watcher okay," Buffy replied angrily.  "Giles was doing just fine before you lot came and did that stupid Cruciamomento test."

"That would be Cruciamentum Miss Summers," Travers corrected her.  "And Mr Giles was fired for going against Council rules, just as you were removed from Hogwarts for going against what had been agreed upon.  As it seems that you're former Watcher was unable to teach you the correct respect and obedience that should be instilled in all Slayers, it is obvious that you _are_ in need of a Watcher who can educate you in the ways of the Council."

"That's just a fancy way of telling me that I have to obey, or else, right?" Buffy retorted.

"Miss Summers, you need to learn discipline," Miss Pryce said snippily.  "Without discipline, you cannot be-"

"All that I can be?" Buffy finished.

Miss Pryce scowled at the Slayer angrily.

Travers coughed softly and Miss Pryce forced herself to relax.  She stepped backwards to take a position beside Travers.  Buffy glared at the two Watchers, angry that she'd been put in this situation.  Once again, as it had been when she'd been dragged off to Hogwarts several months ago, everything had snowballed out of her control far faster than she would have liked.  She didn't like being out of control, and at least at Hogwarts things hadn't been so bad.  Here at the Council, she knew that there was not going to be friends or romantic interests.  

"Perhaps Miss Summers could do with some alone time," Travers suggested softly.  "We'll show you to the room you'll be staying in.  We'll give you some time to rethink your position.  We'll also be having you make a statement about the incident that occurred on the twenty-eighth of January in the alley with Alan Finch."

"I've already told you, that wasn't my fault!" Buffy yelled.

The two Council lackeys stepped forward and each grabbed hold of one of Buffy's elbows, forcefully moving her out of the room and down the corridor.

They lead her down to a single door and opened it, pushing Buffy inside.

The room was small, the walls painted an off-white colour.  There was a small window that gave her a view of the back gardens, and Buffy could tell that they were at least five storeys from the ground.  The bed was a basic metal frae with a thin mattress and minimal bedding.  There was a sink and a chest of drawers and not a lot else.  After her room at Hogwarts, this small space reminded her of a prison room, and she had a feeling that this was exactly what Travers had been intending for her to think of it as.

"Miss Summers, I might suggest that you re-think your statement about Mr Finch's murder," Travers said softly as the lackeys left the room.  "Your written and verbal statement regarding your guilt in regards to the incident is the first of the conditions that you must comply with in order to continue on in your capacity as the Slayer.  You'll be given twenty-four hours to think it over.  If you don't…well, I'm fairly certain that any number of the Potentials that we've been training will only be too happy to take your position as the Slayer."

The door slammed shut and Buffy winced at the echo that sounded in the Spartan room.  Travers' departing words went round and round inside her mind, and Buffy sat herself down on the edge of her bed, partly in shock.

Travers' meaning had been clear.  If she didn't tell them that she'd killed Finch, she would be replaced.  And the only way to call a new Slayer was if the old Slayer were to die.  

Unless she confessed…they were going to kill her.

-----

Sorry for the lack of updates.  I've had serious trouble with this story.  SO, I just decided to sit here in front of my computer and try and write the rest of this damn thing.  And I'm so bloody close to finishing this story so colour me very very happy about it.  It looks as though it's gonna come in at just under fifty chapters.  Currently writing Chapter forty-five, and it should be finished by about chap 48 I hope. I very much want this fic finished and done with and soon.  

Mega thanks for all your reviews an emails and the fact that you're willing to turn a blind eye to the fact that I've been stealing my own ideas.  

Shout outs to Rali for putting her fic Damascus Gate back up.  Go check it out, cos you won't regret it.  One of the best and funniest stories I've read in a while.

Toodles.

Kattie.


	41. Planning

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: PLANNING

**Monday, 15th March 1999**

The remaining classes for the day had been cancelled, much to the joy of the students at Hogwarts.  All of them were horrified with the reason that classes were cancelled of course, but none of the students were terribly sad that they didn't have to attend class.

The Scooby Gang found themselves sitting in a large circular room that seemed to be covered in knickknacks that were mostly gold, silver or moving.  Sometimes all three.

A newly arrived Angel was pacing the room, the office, much to Draco's annoyance.  He'd seen what Angel had looked like from the boggart that Buffy had been forced to face, but seeing the souled vampire in the flesh was a lot different.  Hearing the worry and concern in his voice was making Draco realise just how much the vampire had loved the Slayer.  

And it was in those moments of watching Angel worry about Buffy that Draco finally realised the depth of his feelings.  He didn't just care for Buffy.  He didn't just like fooling around with her.  He _loved _her.  

It was a startling revelation.  He'd never loved anything in his life.  His parents were merely the people who'd raised him, his friends were merely acquaintances that he spoke to in order to keep from being too bored, his pet owl was merely a means of communication, and Quidditch was just a game that was exhilarating.  

But Buffy…he _loved _her.  

And now he wanted her back.  He didn't want to lose her to the Council.  He had known that Buffy would be going back to Sunnydale eventually, and he had prepared himself for that eventuality, but having Buffy now in the hands of the Watcher's Council was far worse.  He was worried about the woman he loved, it was as simple as that.  And there was nothing he could do that would help her.

For all of his magical knowledge in both light and dark magic, he could do nothing that would be of any help to his girlfriend.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, deep in thought.  He was turning over different ways to prove Buffy's innocence, but he knew that the majority of the Council members were adamantly against the wizarding world's magic.  They only trusted their mages who found the Slayers and Potentials, and even then the trust wasn't always one hundred percent. 

While each of the people, whether wizard, witch, muggle or vampire ruminated on the possible ways to prove Buffy's guilt, a small brown owl flew through Dumbledore's open window and dropped a letter on the Headmaster's desk before gliding to perch beside Fawkes on the golden pedestal.

Dumbledore snapped out of his thoughts and slit the envelope open, reading through it's contents silently before handing the letter to Giles.

The Scoobies plus Draco all watched in worry as the Watcher's face went pale.  

"Giles?" Willow asked quietly.  There were salty tears tracks on her face from the crying which had seemed non-stop ever since Buffy had walked out of the DADA classroom at gun point.  Willow had seen Buffy being threatened by vampires with weapons before and never had she been so afraid for her best friends life as when a human, a Watcher at that, had held Buffy at gunpoint.  

"It's from my…my contact at the Council," Giles said, stumbling over his words a little.  "He uh…he says that Travers has petitioned for Buffy to face trial, and, if she refuses to confess her guilt for the murder of Allan Finch, her position as Slayer will be terminated."

The room went silent.  

"Terminated?" Cordelia whispered.  She would never admit it, but she was worried beyond belief.  She hadn't ever thought that she would miss Buffy's presence in her life, but having the Slayer gone had made life very difficult.  IT wasn't just the inconvenience of having to do patrols to cover for Buffy, it was just the simple everyday things that Cordelia had missed.  She missed Buffy, not the Slayer, and she was certain that if any of her former 'friends' knew about it, she would have been the laughing stock of the group.  Thankfully she no longer cared, and the Scoobies had all seen how much she had missed the Slayer during her absence.

"She'll be killed," Angel said coldly.  

Draco glared at his lover's former boyfriend.  He'd known what the Watcher had meant, but to hear it so coldly stated was not something that he enjoyed hearing.  Hearing Joyce Summers gasp wasn't something that he wanted to hear ever again either.   

"Can they do that?" Xander asked.

"The Council has immeasurable power," Giles stated.  He removed his glasses and took out his ever present handkerchief, polishing the lenses with a little too much force.  "They could kill you with the stroke of a pen, poncy bastards."

Giles' glasses lenses popped lose and he stopped his movements, his hands trembling at the thought of losing his Slayer…his daughter.  

"What about whoever convinced the other Council members to send her to Hogwarts?" Willow asked.  "Wouldn't they want her to be…not killed?"

Giles nodded.  "Indeed.  Unfortunately, he does not hold enough power over the Council.  He is one of the elder Council members, but not with enough power.  Even though Buffy is one of the best Slayers that this Council has ever seen, they fear the power she holds because they cannot control it.  Therefore, the people who are higher up in power are only too willing to see the position of Slayer go to someone who will follow orders."

"Like _Faith_," Xander said sarcastically.

Giles shrugged sheepishly, conceding Xander's point.  He read over the letter again and looked up at the room filled with worried faces.

"Does the Slayer line even run through Buffy anymore?" Oz asked.  

The room fell silent, considering the question.  It was a valid point that Oz had raised.  Buffy had died and the Slayer torch had been passed on.  

"I doubt that Travers has actually considered that.  I suppose he is so hell-bent on seeing Buffy dead that even if her death doesn't result in another Slayer being Called, he won't be all that concerned," Giles explained.

"Boy, when you Watchers hold a grudge, you _really_ hold a grudge,:  Cordelia commented.

Giles glared at the tactless girl.  "We have twenty hours to prove that Buffy is innocent," he said grimly.  "If we don't…"

He didn't have to finish his sentence to let the others know just how terrible a fate would befall on their Slayer.

------------------------

Four hours later, the Scoobies plus Dumbledore were ready to begin panicking.  But Draco just looked up from the book he'd cornered himself away with and smiled widely.

"I think I know how to find her," he announced.

------------------------

"You're not going," Angel argued.

"The hell I'm not!" Draco yelled.  "That's _my_ girlfriend that we're trying to save, remember?"

Angel tried to remind himself that this was what he'd wanted for Buffy.  For someone to take her into the sunlight and give her the things he couldn't give her himself.  And as much as he may not have liked Draco Malfoy, he knew that Buffy truly cared for the boy.  And he could tell from the boy's expression and scent that Draco more than cared for Buffy.  

"Of course I remember," Angel assured Draco tightly.  "But you don't know anything about our world."

"I'll learn," Draco insisted obstinately. 

"It's too dangerous," Dumbledore said gently.  "Angel will be the only one with the strength to go up against whatever is thrown at him.  We would not wish for you to be hurt."

Draco pulled out his wand as a reminder for the Headmaster.  "I can handle myself."

Within the blink of an eye, Angel had lunged towards the boy, grabbed Draco's wand and thrown it to the other side of the room, leaving Draco standing there looking both angry and humiliated.  He didn't like being shown up by Buffy's ex boyfriend, especially in front of the Headmaster and all of Buffy's friends.

Willow scowled at the vampire and Draco felt somewhat mollified that at least one of Buffy's friends approved of him.

"Buffy wouldn't want you getting hurt," Joyce said gently.  She had to admit that she was liking the young man who was dating her daughter more and more as the hours went by.  She could tell that the boy was worried sick about his girlfriend, and the courage that he was showing was more than enough to convince Joyce that her daughter had chosen the right kind of man to have in her life.

Draco nearly snapped back at her, but years of being taught respect for one's elders held him back.  That and he'd earlier hated Angel for his treatment of Buffy's mother, so he couldn't very well yell at the woman.   He breathed in deeply and forced himself to calm down.

"How do you plan on getting near her Angel?" Giles asked.

"Simple…I'll just walk right up to her."

-----

Guess what?!  I finally _finished_ writing this damn thing.  It's taken the better part of about six months to do (I think…can't rightly remember when I started this little project.)  The final count is in. It ends up being a total of fifty chapters with a word count of 86, 663 words.  It's beem a definite love hate relationship with this ifc, and can I just say how glad I am to have finally finished it!!  So, you've got nine chapters left of this thingbefore it ends.  And can I just comment on how phenomenal you guys have been with reviewing.  I didn't expect to get this many reviews, but…wow!  Forty chapters in and over 950 reviews.  Seriously stoked about that.  

Many thanks to everyone, and keep reading,  My posts for this fic should be a little more regular.  I'd say one chapter every two or three days (not gonna spoil you lot just yet…)

Toodles. 

DKG.


	42. Terminated

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: TERMINATED

**Tuesday, 16th March 1999**

**9am London Time**

Buffy was pacing the small room that she'd been placed in.  She'd never been fond of small spaces, and being closed within four walls was making her edgy.  Not to mention the fact that she had about four hours to confess to a crime she didn't commit, or else she'd be killed by the very people that she was meant to trust the most.  

She sighed tiredly, wishing that she could get her hands on Faith to strangle the hell out of her and make her confess.  In her weeks at Hogwarts she'd nearly forgotten how deeply Faith's betrayal had stung, but now that she was in the hands of the Council, she was remembering it far more.

She checked her watch again.  Nine in the morning.  She hadn't slept at all during the night, not trusting the Watcher enough.  She didn't believe that she would wake up in the morning if she actually succumbed to the temptation of sleep.  She had another four hours before her 'twenty-four hours' were up, and still she was drawing a blank as to what to say to the Council.   The simple answer would be to just confess to it, but she knew that she was innocent.  She didn't want to admit to something that, while it _had_ been an accident, hadn't been her fault.  

The door to her room opened with a creak, and Buffy stopped her pacing to face the man who'd entered.  It wasn't Travers, nor was it Miss Pryce, her new 'Watcher'.  It was a man with gentle green eyes who looked vaguely familiar, though Buffy knew she'd never met him in her entire life.

"Miss Summers?" he asked, his voice quiet and gentle.

She nodded, wondering why he'd even needed to ask.

"The Elders of the Council will see you now," he said.

Buffy breathed in deeply.  Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  She'd thought that she would have several more hours to try and convince the Council that she wasn't a criminal, nor was she a murderer.  She hadn't expected to be called before the Council so early.  Or with such an empty stomach.

She sighed and went to the door.  She was tempted to knock the man out and run for her life, but the way he was looking at her with sympathetic eyes held her back.  She sometimes wished she could have been a little more ruthless, but she knew that deep within herself that she could never hurt an innocent person, no matter what.  Even if it was to save her own life.  She didn't have it in her to do it.

She followed the nameless Watcher through a labyrinth of corridors.  They finally came to a large open room with a long table that sat twelve people, both men and women.  The man escorting her took a seat at the end of the table, and Buffy stared worriedly at the looks on the Watchers faces.  They all looked at her disapprovingly, except for her escort, who was looking exceedingly worried.

Buffy noticed Travers seated towards the opposite end of the table.

"Miss Summers, you stand before the Elders of the Council, accused of the murder of Mr Allan Finch, the Deputy Mayor of Sunnydale, California," a Watcher in the centre of the table said, his voice cold and unforgiving.  "Being aware of the fact that your position as Slayer will be forfeit if you do not confess your actions, how do you plead?"

Buffy swallowed hard and closed her eyes.  She took a deep breath and voiced her answer.

------------------------

**Tuesday, 16th March 1999**

**12.15am New York Time**

The Slayer felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle, a familiar vampiric presence setting her senses running wild.  She felt her body tense in preparation for a fight.  She turned, her eyes searching for the vampire, but she could see nothing.  She turned her attention back to the Watcher in front of her, but when she heard a slight noise, she turned, her fists raised in an instinctive defensive position.

The tall, dark haired vampire stepped forward, his eyes a deep brown that one could get lost in.  The Slayer frowned and looked between the Vampire and the Watcher.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.  "How did you find me?"

Angel half-smirked and shrugged.  "I have my sources."

"You're not supposed to be here," the Watcher said, stepping forward bravely.  

Angel turned to look at the Watcher.  Without pause, he shifted to game face and watched in amusement as the Watcher jumped back several steps.

"Again I ask, what are you doing here?" the Slayer demanded angrily.

Angel sighed and looked down.  The quiet demeanour of the vampire, even though he had never really been all that loud or expressive was worrying the Slayer.  While the soulled vampire was incredibly hard to read properly, it was easy enough for anyone to see that something was troubling him.  And whatever that something was wasn't good news.

Faith Sebastian could tell that whatever Angel was here for wasn't going to be good.  The last six weeks had been torturous for Faith.  For the first time in her life she felt real guilt for a lot of her actions.  It wasn't just the murder that was weighing on her mind, though that was definitely in the top five list.  It was what she'd done to Buffy.  One of the few people that Faith had ever thought of as a friend and Faith had betrayed her completely.  She'd framed her for the murder of Allan Finch, and had let her sister-Slayer be taken away to England for rehabilitation.

Faith had thought that after it was all said and done, she'd be able to stop thinking about it, but the truth was, it was all that had been on her mind.  She remembered telling Buffy that she didn't care about the murder, but that was so far away from the truth.  She remembered thinking that her problems would all disappear if Buffy was the one to take the blame for the murder, bt in reality, it had made things worse for Faith's conscience.  

"What?" Faith asked again.

Angel looked up at her, his eyes tortured.  Faith felt his heart sink.  She knew that the only thing that could make the soulled vampire look like that had to do with Buffy.  And if he was that upset, it could only mean one thing.

"What? "Faith whispered, her voice barely audible.

"It's Buffy," Angel admitted.  "The Council…they…they held a trial, asked her to confess or give up her position as a Slayer."

Faith felt her heart sink.  She knew enough about Buffy to know that the original Slayer wouldn't ever confess to being guilty when she hadn't been in the wrong.  

"She pleaded guilty, right?" Faith asked.

Angel shook his head.  "No."

"But…"

"She's dead Faith.  Buffy's dead."

-----

Faith's last name came about cos of two things.  One being the beautiful Guy Sebastian, our Aussie Idol (hurrah!  You're _my_ miracle!  *lol*)  And two, it's my old kitty's name.  She got 'sent to the country'.  Hehe.  *sniffs*  Seb lives on in our hearts though.  And a big hello to our new kittycat Miss Kitty Fantastico (aka 'Kitty' or 'oi, you stupid cat' or 'Satan junior'.)  

So…feedback please?  I'm aiming to get up to the 1000 mark after this update.  (*grins* unashamedly selfish over here)

Toodles.

K


	43. Confessions

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: CONFESSIONS

**Tuesday, 16th March 1999**

**1am New York Time**

Faith felt her stomach and heart completely drop.  Her thoughts were going at whirlwind speed, and she felt as though she was about to through up.  

"What?" she whispered.

Faith's Watcher, Jeremy Marshall stepped forward to stand beside his Slayer.

"Faith, we must continue on," he urged her.  He knew of the other Slayer by reputation only, and he hadn't been kept informed of the situation of either her rehabilitation or her termination.  He didn't want to be hearing the information from a vampire of all people instead of hearing about it from a trusted member of Council.

He also didn't like to see his Slayer so upset about something.  He had been trained in the strict Council ways and believed that a Slayer was nothing more than the Council's instrument as a weapon against evil.  Seeing her have a personal attachment to anything was not something he encouraged.  

"When?" Faith demanded.

"The trial was at nine o'clock," Angel replied.  "She refused to confess.  They killed her."

Faith couldn't hold it in any longer.  She fell to her knees and threw up the contents of her stomach.  Her Watcher took a step back, and Angel knelt beside her.

"Did she deserve it Faith?" the vampire whispered softly.  "Did she deserve to die?"

"No, no!" Faith cried, tears welling in her eyes.  She hadn't cried since she was eight years old when her mother had died.  But hearing that Buffy was dead was making the tears begin to fall.

"This is what you wanted though, isn't it Faith?" Angel continued.  

"No, never!  I…I didn't want this."

"You knew what would happen when you went to Wesley and told him about the murder though," Angel said softly, his voice oddly gentle.  He knew enough about people to know that yelling accusations would only make her defensive.   The quiet accusations were getting under Faith's skin though and he knew it.

"I…I didn't know…" Faith whispered.

"Was it worth it Faith?" Angel prodded.  

Faith swallowed hard and looked up at the vampire, her eyes steely with false bravado.  "You don't know anything about it."

"I know you feel guilty," Angel replied simply.

Faith hated this feeling.  She hated the inner turmoil she was feeling.  She hated the feeling of guilt and complete sorrow that she had been a part of the death of a completely innocent person who had been a friend to her.  Killing Allan Finch had hurt, but this was completely tragic to Faith.

"Don't you?" Angel asked.

"No," Faith replied, lying through her teeth.

Angel wouldn't let it rest though.

"Why do you feel guilty Faith?" he questioned.

"I don't."

"Why do you feel guilty?" he asked, his voice rising slightly.

"I don't!"

"Why Faith?!"

"Because it should have been me!" she snapped.  "Because they killed her and it's my fault!"

Angel stepped back, satisfied that he'd finally gotten through.  He needed to hear more than what she'd admitted though.

"But you said she was guilty," Angel said.  "Why would you feel guilty?"

"Because I killed him dammit!" Faith yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks.  

Jeremy Marshall looked down at his fallen Slayer, feeling sickened.  He'd known that the girl hadn't been Slayer material since he'd started training her.  She had potential however, and he had been trying to use that as much as possible, but there was definitely something about her that was unstable.  Seeing her now on her knees and in tears was something that Marshall had never expected to see.  

"It was an accident I swear!" Faith continued. "He shouldn't have been in that alley!" 

"So Buffy didn't kill him then?" Angel asked.  "You were the one who killed Allan Finch?"

"Yes, okay!  I killed him!  I killed him, and now he's dead, and…and the Council killed B, and that's my fault too, and…and…"

Faith couldn't continue.  She was sobbing too hard, and it was hurting her as she tried to take in huge gulps of air.  Angel sighed and smiled a bittersweet smile.  He hadn't been sure that the angle he'd taken would work, but it seemed that it had worked like a charm.

"She's not dead," Angel admitted quietly.

Faith barely heard him, but eventually the meaning of his words seeped through.  She looked up at him through her tear-filled eyes, and felt everything click into place.  

The vampire watched the myriad of emotions wash quickly over Faith's face.  Relief about Buffy's continued existence, confusion about how it was possible and eventually the anger that Angel had expected.

"You played me!" Faith yelled angrily.  The effect was somewhat ruined by the hiccup that happened halfway through her accusation.

Angel nodded unrepentantly. 

"They're going to kill her in a matter of hours if we didn't prove her innocence," Angel explained.  "The Council wanted her to confess or else they really would kill her."

Faith's eyes narrowed.  "So, what?  You gonna drag me to the Council, get me to confess in front of a panel of tweed wearing tight-asses and let them execute me?"

Angel shook his head.  "Not at all.  You're going to confess to the Watchers, and then you're going to continue being trained by your Watcher.  Away from Sunnydale."

Faith looked at him suspiciously. 

"And what if I don't come with you?" she demanded angrily.

Angel chuckled and pulled out a black recording device from his pocket.  He rewound the tape for a few seconds before hitting play.  

"_Because I killed him dammit!_"

The recording of Faith's voice rang clearly through the air and Faith felt her world begin to spin again.  She shook her head angrily.  She didn't like the feelings that were coursing through her.  She hated the uncertainty that she'd felt earlier.  She hated the guilt, and the pain and the loss that she was feeling.  And now that she knew that Buffy was alive, the only thing she wanted to do was see the other Slayer in person and see for herself that she truly was alive.

She sighed deeply and looked up at the soulled vampire.  

"Take me to them."

Angel removed a white handkerchief from his pocket and unwrapped a small silver thimble from the cloth.  He checked his watch before taking Faith's hand.  

Faith's Watcher could only watch in complete confusion as his Slayer and the soulled vampire disappeared from the cemetery, leaving him alone in the darkness.

-----

Oh so cool…over 1000 reviews.  You guys absolutely rock!!  Much thanks for your continued patience and all your words of encouragement.  Sooo…seven more chapters to go.  

Toodles.

K.


	44. Interruptions

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: INTERRUPTIONS

**Tuesday, 16th March 1999**

**9am London Time**

Faith stumbled slightly as she took in her surroundings.  They were in the middle of an unfamiliar office that was filled with gold, silver and moving knickknacks.  She stared mutely at the paintings n the walls, wondering whether or not they were supposed to be moving.  She took in the rest of the room and gulped nervously when she saw the faces of the Scoobies looking at her disapprovingly.

She wiped at her eyes, embarrassed by her earlier outburst in front of Angel.  She couldn't believe that she'd broken down like that, but she felt somewhat better now that someone knew the truth about what had happened.

"Ahh, you must be Faith," Dumbledore said gently.

Faith spun to see who had spoken, her eyes widening in shock as she took in the elderly wizard in the blue robes with a pointed wizards hat.

"And you must be Gandalf," Faith replied, the situation making her uncomfortable.  She dealt with it in any way she could.

Willow looked at Faith in shock.

"You've read Tolkien?" the redheaded wiccan asked.

Faith just shrugged.  

Giles cleared his throat softly.  

"I presume that you are here on your own accord, yes?" Giles asked.

Faith nodded.  "Yeah.  Free will and all that."

The Scoobies all looked at her in confusion.  They couldn't work out why the brunette Slayer would agree to accompany Angel back to Hogwarts.  They'd been sure that Angel would only return with the recording device.  To see the vampire with the Slayer in tow was a surprise for all of them.

"You admit that the murder was done by your own hand and not from Buffy's?" Giles clarified.

Faith sighed.  She nodded.  "Yeah.  It was my fault."

"Why'd you do it Faith?" Xander asked softly.

The Slayer sighed.  She shook her head, unable to explain her actions to even herself let alone anyone else.  

"Not to be all dictatory, but…uh…Buffy's trial is probably starting and…well, I don't know about anyone else, but I'd really like for her to not be killed," Willow rambled.

"I'll second that," Draco said.

Faith stared at the platinum haired boy, her eyebrows raised appreciatively.  Draco sneered at her, a hateful glare planted firmly on his face.

"If Buffy dies," Draco began, "so do you."

"Well, if you'd actually let me leave instead of yapping away, she ain't gonna die," Faith retorted before turning to look at Giles.  "So…what do we gotta do?"

------------------------

"Miss Summers, you stand before the Elders of the Council, accused of the murder of Mr Allan Finch, the Deputy Mayor of Sunnydale, California," a Watcher in the centre of the table said, his voice cold and unforgiving.  "Being aware of the fact that your position as Slayer will be forfeit if you do not confess your actions, how do you plead?"

Buffy swallowed hard and closed her eyes.  She took a deep breath and voiced her answer.

"Not guilty."

The Watcher who had escorted her to the hall closed his eyes and hung his head.  Buffy could feel her heart racing nervously in her chest.  

"We were afraid you would say that Miss Summers," the Watcher in the centre of the table said.  "As of this moment, you Buffy Anne Summers, are no longer a Slayer.  You are a disgrace to this Council and to the name of the Slayers.  Let all records of Miss Summers be destroyed, and her name shall be stricken from the Council records.  The diaries belonging to Mr John Merrick Travers and Mr Rupert Edward Giles and Mr Wesley Wyndham-Pryce shall be destroyed, and a new Slayer shall be Called to take Miss Summers place."

A tear trickled slowly down Buffy's cheek.  She had sentenced herself to death because she had told the truth.  The most random of thoughts flitted through her mind.  She'd studied the Salem Witch Trials during High School, and she remembered that the leaders had tried forcing confessions out of completely innocent people.  When they'd denied the accusations, they'd been killed in the most horrible of manners.  Buffy could completely sympathise with them now.  She just hoped that the Council had moved past the idea of burning people at the stake.

"Miss Summers, you are hereby sentenced to death."

The double doors slammed open, and a clear voice rang out in the room.  "Wait!"

Buffy spun around, completely shocked by the person entering the room.  

"Faith," she whispered softly.

Faith met Buffy's eyes briefly, before she turned her attention to the table of Watchers beyond her sister-Slayer.

"Buffy's not guilty of the murder," Faith admitted.  "I am."

The twelve Watchers all began talking at once, and a smile broke out on Buffy's face.  Faith came to stand beside the blonde Slayer, and the two girls stared at each other for a long moment.  Faith grinned at the shorter girl, a sheepish smile accompanied by a half-shrug.

"How you doin' B?" Faith asked.

Buffy grinned and couldn't resist the urge to hug Faith.  "Five by five," she replied.

Faith couldn't help but laugh.  Even when faced with the knowledge that the Council now knew the truth about Faith's guilt, she couldn't help but feel completely absolved.  The hug they'd shared had told Faith everything she needed to know.  She'd earned her redemption in Buffy's eyes and that was all that mattered.  Her guilt was almost completely lifted now that she'd faced the consequences of her actions.

The centre Watcher banged his fist on the table, gaining the attention of the other eleven Watchers and the two Slayers.  Silence reigned throughout the room.

"That news certainly puts a new spin on things," the Watched announced.

"Perhaps Miss Sebastian is merely trying to keep Miss Summers alive," Travers suggested maliciously.

"Or perhaps Miss Sebastian has finally done the right thing by coming forward and putting this entire mess to rights," the Watcher with the gentle green eyes said.  

"Punishment must dealt out," one of the other Watchers said loudly.

"It was a mistake!" Faith yelled angrily.  "What happened in that alley wasn't anyone's fault.  Allan Finch was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it was a tragic accident, but it was just that!  An _accident_!"

The man who'd escorted Buffy to the hall spoke up once more.  "Miss Sebastian's Watcher, Mr Marshall has always spoken of the potential that Miss Sebastian has as a Slayer.  She has room to improve, as all Slayers have, but he spoke of a marked improvement in the past few weeks.  I believe from reading Mr Marshall's reports that we will find that Miss Sebastian was just a confused young woman who was in a situation she couldn't extricate herself from." 

Buffy shot the man a grateful look.  She didn't know who he was or why he was barracking for herself and Faith, but whoever he was, she was infinitely grateful for the support.

"And what exactly would you suggest we do with the two Slayers?" Travers asked, his tone angry and incredibly unimpressed.  He hadn't expected for Faith to come forward and admit to her own guilt.

The twelve Watchers began speaking amongst themselves again.  Five minutes passed, and the Watchers looked no closed to reaching a decision than they had when the arguments had begun.  

The two Slayers shared a look that spoke volumes about their shared dislike of the Council of Watchers.  Faith got sick of it and brought her fingers to her mouth and wolf-whistled loudly.

"Why don't we just make it real simple for ya?" Faith asked.  "B'll go back to Sunnydale where she belongs, and I'll go back to New York."

"New York?" Buffy repeated.  She nodded approvingly.  "Colour me jealous.  I'd love to live that close to that many shops."

Faith smirked and looked questioningly back at the Watchers.

The Watcher at the centre of the table coughed uncomfortably.  He hesitated a moment longer.

"Your terms are acceptable," he finally acquiesced.   "However, if another incident like this occurs, there will be a complete investigation into the matter.  Tread carefully, the both of you."

Travers looked as though he was about to argue the matter.  The man with gentle green eyes shot Travers a look that reminded Buffy of Giles' Ripper-glare, and Travers immediately closed his mouth, conceding defeat.

"Meeting adjourned."

Eleven of the twelve Council members filed out quickly.  The man with the green eyes lingered and Buffy immediately took advantage of the opportunity to ask who he was.  The man smiled and shook his head slightly.

"How forgetful of me to introduce myself to you.  Reginald Giles," he explained.

Buffy grinned suddenly.  She should have realised it earlier.  He had the same eyes and the same Ripper-glare as her Watcher had.  

"Your Giles' dad," Buffy said.

Reginald nodded.  "I have to say, he did a remarkable job in your training," Reginald said.  "Merrick was aware that you were a unique Slayer, and when Rupert was given the chance to be your Watcher I worried that the two of you would not be able to co-exist."

Buffy grinned.  "It took a lot of work, but…we eventually met in the middle," she explained.

"So I heard," Reginald replied.  "Now, as for your Miss Sebastian….I must congratulate you on your bravery.  It is not every person who will walk into the lion's den and face off against an unfed mob with no guarantee that you will ever see the light of day again."

Faith flushed slightly, and Buffy couldn't help but grin.  She'd never seen the other Slayer so flustered.  It was definitely a sight to remember. 

"It was the right thing to do, y'know," Faith replied.

"That it was," Reginald agreed.  "It still took courage, and you seem to have the lion's share."

Buffy turned to look at Faith curiously.  "What changed your mind?"

Faith's eyes darkened.  "You can thank your boyfriend for that one.  He came and told me that they'd killed you.  I…I kinda flipped when he told me that."

"Draco told you I was dead?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"Uhh…no.  Angel told me…wait.  Who the hell's Draco?" Faith demanded.

"My boyfriend," Buffy replied.  "Hottie blonde guy I met at the school they sent me to."

Buffy paused for a moment before snippets of previous conversations came back to her.

"You're the one who got me into Hogwarts!" Buffy exclaimed, turning to look at Reginald Giles.  "You're the Director at the Council who agreed to let me go there.  You knew it was good cos Giles went there."

Reginald nodded.  "I knew that Hogwarts would be the perfect environment for you.  I knew that Travers would make your life miserable if you were to stay at the Council.  When Rupert called me to explain what had happened, I spoke to Albus Dumbledore about getting you into Hogwarts.  I convinced six of the other Council Directors so that we had the majority vote."

Buffy nodded, grinning.  She couldn't help but like her Watcher's father. She'd never really thought about him before, but now that she had met him she knew that he was definitely someone that would be a good ally.  

"Hang on…Snape said that the only reason Dumbledore agreed to letting me attend Hogwarts is cos they owed Giles a favour," Buffy said in confusion.

Reginald chuckled a little.  "Yes, that is also true.  Dumbledore once needed a place for several of his friends to hide out for a period of time to ensure their safety.  He promised that if Giles ever needed a similar favour, he could be called on."

"What place?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Well, my dear girl, your Watcher is from a long line of wizards on his mother's side.  And these witches and wizards were all from Gryffindor House.  Giles inherited his mother's house when she passed away twenty years ago, bless her soul.  She left him a house in Godric's Hollow, a place that only a very few select people knew about.  Dumbledore used that house to hide a family that Lord Voldemort was trying to kill," Reginald explained.

"The Potters," Buffy guessed.

Reginald nodded.  "Right you are.  James, Lily and Harry Potter," the Watcher said.  "Unfortunately they were betrayed and young Rupert blamed himself in part for their deaths.  He never quite understood that Peter Pettigrew would have betrayed them to Voldemort wherever they had stayed."

Faith couldn't quite keep up with the conversation between the two, and let her mind wander.  Her attention was caught by the clock on the wall.  

"Oh shit…I almost forgot!"

Both Buffy and Giles turned their attention to the brunette Slayer.  Faith removed a handkerchief from her pocket and unwrapped a silver paperclip.  Buffy stared at it in confusion for a moment before remembering what Hermione had taught her about portkeys and how wizards usually disguised them as non-descript muggle items.

"Portkey?" Buffy asked, just to clarify.

"Yup.  That Bumblebee guy said it would do it's funky mojo in…thirty seconds," Faith said, glancing back at the clock.

Buffy sighed and smiled at Reginald.  "It was good to meet you Mr Giles," she said sincerely.  "I won't forget what you did for us."

Buffy pressed her fingertips to the paperclip.  Faith did the same and grinned at the Watcher.  "What she said," Faith said nonchalantly.

Reginald bowed slightly to them, and within seconds the two Slayers felt tugs behind their navels, and they were transported back to Hogwarts where their family and their friends were waiting nervously for them.

----

Awww, Faith redemption.  I love Faith, she's a fantastic character.  


	45. Reunions

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: REUNIONS

**Tuesday, 16th March 1999**

The second the two girls had regained their balance, the occupants of Dumbledore's office were all speaking hurriedly, raising their voices trying to be heard above the others.  Draco had immediately swept Buffy into a tight embrace.  He'd put his lips to hers and hadn't let up.  Buffy wasn't complaining though.

Angel watched, his heart breaking slowly as he watched the woman that he loved with another man.  He sighed, knowing that he had lost her for good.  He had to concede that the boy she'd chosen was someone that he would trust with Buffy's life.  He had proven to be useful to them.  He'd found the spell that could be used to locate Slayers, and even though it had required a little bit of dark magic, it had proven to be useful for locating both Faith and Buffy.  

When the two blonde Slytherins finally pulled apart, Buffy was passed from person to person, being hugged tightly.  Faith was completely surprised to be pulled into a hug by Xander and one from Draco as well.  

"Thank you," the Slytherin boy said simply.  

Faith smiled and nodded.  "S'okay," she replied easily.

"Well, it means a lot in any case," Draco told her.  He quickly moved back to be beside his girlfriend, his arms easily slipping around Buffy's waist as he stood behind her, her back resting against his chest as he leant his chin gently on Buffy's shoulder.

"You did the right thing," Angel assured Faith quietly.

Faith nodded, taking in the sight of Buffy with Draco's arms wrapped around her.

"So did you," she replied, gesturing to the Slytherin couple.  "She looks happy."

Angel smiled, a bittersweet smile that told Faith that Angel wasn't happy about giving the blonde Slayer up, but would do it for Buffy's happiness in any case.

"She does."

Angel moved towards Buffy and pulled her slightly aside.  Draco hesitated, but he knew that the two former lovers needed closure.  He squeezed Buffy's hand comfortingly, and Buffy pressed a kiss to Draco's cheek before he went to join the other Scoobies in conversation.

Buffy and Angel stared at each other, neither one really sure about what to say to the other.  Angel half-smiled at the situation and decided to make the first move.

"How are you?" he asked.  "Honestly."

Buffy sighed.  "A little shaken up," she admitted.  "Kinda really glad that Faith decided to own up to what happened."

Angel nodded, having suspected as much.  "We weren't sure it would work, but…I got her to confess on tape in case she refused to go and confess in front of the Council."

Buffy smiled at him genuinely.  "Thank you."

Angel just shrugged.  They stared at each other, a slightly awkward silence hanging between them.  

"Are you happy with him?" Angel finally asked.

A smile crept across Buffy's face at the mere thought of Draco Malfoy.  He'd been a godsend to her.  She glanced over in Draco's direction, her smile widening as she saw him speaking with both Willow and Joyce.

"I am," she replied, hoping that the truth wouldn't hurt him.

"Do you love him?" Angel asked.  He wasn't sure why he was even asking, but he just had to know.

Buffy paused for a moment, thinking over the question.  "I'm definitely starting to," she replied.  "He's a great guy Angel.  Under that whole bad-boy exterior, he's really sweet."

Angel nodded.  He'd seen the type before, and he knew without a doubt that Draco Malfoy was a good person.  The younger man had been resolute in their need to help Buffy prove her innocence, and had been the one to help locate both Buffy and Faith using a spell that could locate Slayers.  It needed big magic that Dumbledore had been the one to actually produce, but it had been Draco's research that had pointed them in the right direction.  

"I won't deny that I wish it was me that you're with," Angel said, "but, for what it's worth…"

"You approve?" Buffy finished.

Angel just nodded.  Buffy smiled softly and hesitated for a moment before finally stepping forward and hugging her former lover.  They lingered for a moment before stepping away from each other, both of them knowing that the chapter of their lives that had been lived together was officially and finally over.  They could both move on, and Buffy finally had a sense of closure between herself and Angel.

Twenty minutes later, the hugs were done and the room had calmed down completely.  The Scoobies were all still smiling widely, thankful to have Buffy back, and to not have the shadow of the Council hanging over their heads threatening to come in and swallow their happiness.  They were completely worry free for the moment, and they were revelling in it.

Buffy looked around the room, smiling contentedly.  "I don't know about everyone else, but…I am _really_ hungry," she announced.

Her proclamation was met with gentle laughter as they moved to the door to go down to the Great Hall just in time for breakfast. 

------------------------

As the Scoobies entered the Great Hall in the middle of breakfast, the entire student body went into uproars.  Most, if not all of the Seventh Years were calling out greetings to Buffy, welcoming her back to Hogwarts.  

Harry, Hermione and Ron all grinned and waved at their Slytherin friend, all of them thankful that the girl hadn't been harmed in any way.  The Scoobies took their seats at the Slytherin table while Giles and Joyce sat up at the Professors table.  

Angel found himself seated between Draco and Xander, a strange combination to be sure.  Buffy had laughed at his predicament, but Angel had sportingly agreed to stay where he was without too much complaint.

Pansy Parkinson had taken a moment to register Buffy's presence within Hogwarts once more before she had left the table and walked out of the Great Hall.  Buffy had sighed sadly, hoping that thing would have changed between them.  It didn't look as though it had.

She cast all thoughts of the other Slytherin girl out of her mind and concentrated on eating breakfast with her Sunnydale and Hogwarts friends.  She knew that it would only be a matter of time before they had to go back to Sunnydale.  But she desperately wanted to stay.  

Draco was keeping a tight hold of Buffy, the two teens knowing that they wouldn't have much longer to be together now that the Council had agreed that Buffy was innocent.  

"I don't see why we have to go to classes today," Blaise complained good-naturedly.  "I mean…we should be celebrating."

Buffy grinned at her best friend and shook her head in mock disappointment.  "Honestly Blaise, you should be happy that you got yesterday off."

Blaise shrugged and grinned.  "I've been meaning to thank you for that."

Buffy laughed.  "Yeah, no problems.  I'll try to get dragged off at gun-point more often."

"Kind of an extreme way to get outta class though B," Faith commented.

"Hmmm…no worse than going slaying in the middle of the day," Buffy said with a grin.

Faith just shrugged.  "Was fun though wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Buffy replied honestly.  "It was."

There was a slight silence within the group as the two Slayer slipped into nostalgic remembrance.   

"So…what happens next?" Xander asked.

Draco looked at his watch.  "Divinations," he replied.

Buffy laughed.  She and Blaise exchanged grins.

"What do you think Trelawney will predict for you _this _week?" Blaise asked.

"Besides my horrible death at a young age?" Buffy asked.  "Probably pain, torture and mayhem."

"Just the way you like it," Xander quipped.

"Personally, I'd be taking out the pain and torture," Oz commented.

Willow turned to look at her boyfriend, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Why not the mayhem?" she asked.

Oz just shrugged.  "It wouldn't be Sunnydale without mayhem."

Silence once more descended upon the table, and Oz realised slightly too late the faux pas he'd made.  He'd mentioned Sunnydale, and it seemed that the Scoobies had had an unwritten rule about not mentioning their home town just yet.  Buffy wasn't ready to even begin contemplating the move back home.  Draco and Blaise weren't prepared to lose their friend, and the Scoobies weren't sure what exactly would happen if Buffy were to decide to stay for longer.

Cordelia coughed uncomfortably and looked to Xander.  He squeezed her hand beneath the table and smiled softly at her.

Blaise suddenly groaned, breaking the silence.  

"What?" Buffy asked.

Blaise just pointed towards the double doors, and the group turned to see Pansy Parkinson walking back into the Great Hall, holding something wrapped in brown paper tied with string.

Pansy came to stand behind Buffy.  Without saying a word she handed the package over to the Slayer.  Buffy took it gingerly, her eyes meeting Pansy's.  The other Slytherin girl met Buffy's eyes for a moment before looking away.

"Think of it as a thank you," Pansy finally said.  With that, she turned and walked away.

Buffy swivelled back to face the others at the table, the package in her hand.

"What is it?" Blaise asked curiously.

"Brown paper packages, tied up with string," Xander said.

"Those are one of my favourite things," Willow finished.

The two best friends grinned at each other.  Oz smiled indulgently as Cordelia rolled her eyes.  Buffy chose to ignore the comments that went over all of the Slytherins heads, the muggle reference completely lost on them.

She untied the string and carefully unwrapped the paper.  She gasped, a grin coming to her face as she took in the green material beneath her fingers.  

"What is that?" Cordelia asked, her radar for clothing going off immediately.

Buffy grinned and held up the green and silver turtleneck jumper, and the emerald green cloak.

"It's a Quidditch uniform," Buffy explained to her Sunnydale friends.

"Quidditch?" Willow and Xander asked simultaneously.

"Wizarding sport," Buffy explained.   

"Parkinson got kicked off the team," Blaise explained.  "And everyone heard about how you managed to score a goal with a bloody bludger the other day, so…well, we figured that you'd make a brilliant Chaser to take over for Parkinson."

"The game's on Saturday," Draco said.  "Gryffindor versus Slytherin."

Buffy looked at her boyfriend in awe.  "You want _me_ on the Quidditch team?"

Draco nodded enthusiastically.  "I've seen you fly, Summers.  You're amazing.  And if you can score goals with bludgers, imagine what you can do with a quaffle."

Xander leaned towards Willow.  "Why are they playing sports with waffles?"

Willow rolled her eyes and ignored Xander's silliness.

"So now the real question is, will you still be here on Saturday?" Blaise asked.

Buffy grinned.  "As if I'd miss the Slytherin versus Gryffindor game for anything in the world!"

---

Okay, so that's it from me until about the 29th of Dec.  Merry Christmas to you all!  Hope you guys don't stop reading/writing/updating and all that's sorta fun stuff.  Enjoy your Christmas' and don't get sunburned!  (Dreaming of a Green Christmas.)

DKG.


	46. Slyth vs Gryff

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: SLYTH VS. GRYFF

**Saturday, 20th March 1999**

The Scoobies had gone back to Sunnydale on the Tuesday afternoon, leaving Buffy at Hogwarts.  After a long and drawn out discussion between Buffy, the Scoobies, her Watcher and her mother, it had been decided that Buffy could stay at Hogwarts until after the Quidditch match.  None of the Sunnydale people could bring themselves to ask her to leave before the game when she seemed so excited to be asked to play.  They'd been given a portkey by Dumbledore that would activate on Saturday at one am to get them to Hogwarts for nine in the morning with the time different between the two countries.

The Scooby Gang, minus Joyce who had adamantly refused to even try and watch a game played fifty feet in the air that involved her daughter, and minus Angel who hadn't been enthusiastic enough to volunteer to be burnt to a crisp, were waiting in the stands beside Blaise and the rest of the Slytherin students.  

The entire school had turned up at the match, all of them wanting to see the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match that usually ended up becoming incredibly violent between the two teams.  It was always the most exciting game of the year, and none of the students wanted to miss it.  

Most of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had donned the Gryffindor colours for the day, but the Scoobies had dug out anything they could find in green and silver and wore Buffy's house colours to show their support.

Giles felt a little odd wearing the Slytherin colours when he himself had been a Gryffindor student, but he was willing to make the sacrifice for his Slayer.

They watched the warm-up session with interest, watching as Buffy manoeuvred the broom she had borrowed from (strangely enough) Pansy Parkinson.  The Scoobies had been a little sceptical about a sport played on broomsticks, but seeing the two teams warming up, they could tell that the match was definitely going to be exciting.

When the stands were full, and the players were warmed up, Madam Hooch assembled the Players in the centre of the pitch, the two teams staring at each other, many of the players glaring at their opponents.  Buffy looked up to where the two Seekers hovered above all the other players as the Snitch circled their heads and flew away.

Draco and Harry were glaring at each other, both of hem holding onto their brooms tightly, their knuckles white from gripping their brooms so hard.  The whistle blew, the Quaffle was thrown into the air and the game began.

"Gryffindor in possession," commentator Jeff Michaels, a Sixth-Year Hufflepuff said, his voice amplififed magically.  "Chaser Lara Penn weaving in between Slytherin Chasers Clayton Banks and Buffy Summers.  Summers intercepts the Quaffle!"

A roar broke out from the Slytherin stand.  Buffy kept the ball tucked in close to her body, not wanting to have it taken from her so early in the game.  She dodged a bludger that a Gryffindor Beater had hit towards her and flew towards the end goals.  She faked left, threw right and scored in the centre goal, Gryffindor Keeper Glenn Wood cursing under his breath.

"First goal of the match to Slytherin as their new Chaser Buffy Summers, also known as the Slayer plays in her very first match," Michaels said.  "Now, before you start getting shirty, Buffy Summers has given her word as the Slayer that she won't be using her 'special skills' to play in this game."

The Slytherin sectio boo-ed at the news, upset that they wouldn't be able to use Buffy's superior strength and skill as an advantage.

The Quaffle was passed to Gryffindor, and Seamus Finnigan passed straight to Dean Thomas, the two boys passing back and forth as they flew their way down the field, managing to outfly both the Slytherin Chasers.  Buffy managed to catch up to them just as they reached the goalposts, but Seamus threw the Quaffle towards the goals just before Buffy could reach him.  Noah Jackson, the Slytherin Keeper managed to intercept the ball and keep the Gryffindors from scoring.

"Nice try Finnigan," Michaels said.  "Slytherin back in possession.  Banks throws to Summers who passes to Chaser Alex Saunders.  Saunders throws back to Banks, and ouch!  Banks takes a Bludger to the shin.  That's gonna smart come morning.  Finnigan intercepts the fallen Quaffle and throws to Thomas.  Thomas throws to Penn, who throws – wait!  Slytherin back in possession.  Summers intercepts and passes to Banks.  He shoots….he scores!  Another ten points to Slytherin, who lead twenty nil."

The Gryffindors in the stands were groaning their dismay, and the players in the air were scowling angrily.  Buffy glanced up to see Harry and Draco in a shoving match as they flew around the stadium searching for the snitch.  She rolled her eyes at their antics, wondering if they would ever be able to get along.  She doubted it.

Twenty minutes later, the cheering was louder, and the stands were vibrating with noise.

"Slytherin lead sixty to fifty, Summers with the Quaffle.  She dodges a Bludger, ducks beneath Finnigan, fakes a pass to Banks and _scores_.  Seventy to fifty, Slytherin in the lead."

Buffy was having the time of her life.  She suddenly understood most everyone's passion for the game, and knew why Ron would have been so depressed when informed her could no longer play if his grades were as low as they were. 

It was beyond exhilarating.  She knew what adrenaline could do to you, but this was an all-new high.  Not only was it a challenge to beat the other team, but the amount of things that you needed to be able to do was keeping them all on their toes.  They needed to weave in and out of the other players, trying to keep the Quaffle in their own possession, whilst staying on their brooms, whilst keeping an eye out for Bludgers that the Beaters kept aiming them at the opposition.  

"Malfoy's seen the snitch!" Michaels yelled.  "Seeker Draco Malfoy in the lead, Gryffindor Seeker Harry Potter on his tail and rapidly catching up."

The crowd was going crazy, all four houses yelling the words 'Gryffindor' and 'Slytherin' in barely a barely decipherable way.  The Gryffindors made the mistake of watching their Seeker try to catch the Snitch, and Banks managed to score a goal.

"Slytherin lead eighty to fifty, Malfoy still in the lead, Potter frantically trying to catch up."

The Gryffindor sections chants changed from 'Go go Gryffindor' to 'Catch the Snitch', which the Slytherins soon began to subtly change.  Whenever there was a pause for breath in the chant 'Catch the Snitch', they would scream 'Malfoy'.  

"Slytherin Chaser Saunders in possession of the Quaffle, passes to Summers, who throws to Banks, back to Saunders.  He shoots…_saved_ by Keeper Glenn Wood."

Draco could feel his heart beating frantically in his chest.  He glanced back over his shoulder and saw Harry's determined expression as the Gryffindor tried to catch up with Draco.  But the Slytherin Seeker was determined that he would win, just _once_ against Harry.  The Slytherins hadn't won against Gryffindor in the six years that Harry had been a Seeker, and Draco was determined to change that.  Not only did he want to prove once and for all that he was just as good a Seeker as Harry, but he wanted the Slytherins to win the Quidditch Cup while Buffy was still at Hogwarts.  Draco knew that this game against the Gryffindors would be the only Quidditch match that Buffy would ever get to play, and he wanted to ensure that they won, for her sake.  

The Snitch suddenly jerked upwards, and Draco pulled his broom up, the two Seekers having to weave in and out of the other players as the Snitch decided to go higher.  Draco ducked a bludger, but Harry hadn't seen it in time.  His only choice was to completely pull back or be hit, and he flew off course.  With Harry now a lot further behind him, Draco was breathing a little easier.  He looked down at the game below him and grinned as he saw his girlfriend score another goal.

"Slytherin lead ninety to fifty!"

The Snitch began diving down, but Draco had had enough.  He managed to get the broom to speed up and reached out his hand.  His fingers clipped the golden wings of the snitch, and he grabbed hold of the tiny ball.  It struggled for a moment before settling.  He grinned widely and moved his broom into a dive, holding his hand up victoriously.

"Malfoy catches the Snitch!  Slytherin win!!  For the first time in seven years against the Gryffindors, the Slytherins have come out on top!" Michaels announced.  

There was a mixture of chants from the stands, the Slytherins cheering was almost deafening. 

"Slytherin win two hundred and forty to fifty!"

The Slytherin team congregated on the pitch, each of them yelling victoriously and exchanging hugs.  Draco pulled Buffy into his arms and was kissing her enthusiastically, the Snitch still firmly in his hand.  They pulled apart, and Draco was still grinning ear to ear.

"We won," he said.

Buffy just laughed.  "I know!"

"No, Buffy…we _won_!" he yelled.

Buffy grinned and kissed him, wondering whether or not she'd seen anything so adorable as Draco Malfoy being so completely excited.  

"You did it," she said happily.  "You caught the Snitch."

Draco just grinned.  He kissed her again, but was ripped away from her by the other members of the team grabbing Draco and hoisting him to their shoulders.  The other Slytherins raced down from the stands to congratulate the team, Blaise pulling Buffy into a hug.  Pansy Parkinson was even grinning from ear to ear.  

"I think it's fair to say that the best person one," Pansy said, shaking Buffy's hand.  "In Quidditch and…in other things."

Buffy glanced at her grinning boyfriend and nodded.  

"Friends?" Buffy asked, looking back at Pansy.

"Let's not go that far," the other girl replied seriously.

Buffy looked at her, slightly taken aback.  Pansy then grinned and laughed, and the two girls shook hands, not quite up to hugging stage at that moment.  

Buffy's attention was then caught by the five Scoobies, all of them in assorted colours of green and silver, each of them grinning, except of course for Oz, though it did look as though he was about to crack an expression.

Willow pulled Buffy into a tight hug.  "That was awesome!"

"Pretty exciting stuff Buff," Xander agreed.

"Thanks," Buffy said, still grinning widely.  "And thanks for coming by the way."

They all shrugged it off and Giles stepped forward.

"That _was_ most impressive," he said.

"So, was as I good as you used to be?" Buffy asked.  "I heard you were quite the Quidditch played yourself."

The Scoobies all turned to look at the tweed-clad Watcher in shock.

"_You_ played Quidditch?" Cordelia asked.

Giles glared at his Slayer and removed his glasses.  Buffy just laughed, biting her lower lip, realising how much she'd missed her friends and their idiosyncrasies.

The Watcher coughed uncomfortable with the Scoobies scrutiny.  "Enough about that," he said briskly.

The Scoobies all grinned at each other.  There was something fascinating about making Giles squirm.

Draco, finally down from the other team members shoulders, came up to stand behind Buffy, his arms automatically snaking around her waist, and allowing Buffy to lean back against him, kissed Buffy's shoulder softly.

"We're heading back to the Common Room to celebrate," he said.  He looked to the Scoobies.  "You're all welcome to join us, if you'd like."

-----

So…four chapters to go.  Nearly finished this thing.  Huzzah.  Happy belated Christmas to you all!

Toodles.

DKG.


	47. Decisions

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: DECISIONS

**Saturday, 20th March 1999**

After the celebration in the Slytherin Common Room, the Scoobies portkeyed back to Sunnydale, and Buffy knew there was only one more day before she too had to pack up her belongings and leave Hogwarts for good.  She and Draco had been living in denial for the previous week, and had adamantly refused to even think about her departure.  But now that it was upon them, they knew they needed to discuss it.

They retired to Buffy's room, wanting privacy, and knowing that her single room would be the best place for it.  They both discarded their cloaks, leaving them in the cream pants and green and silver turtleneck sweaters of their Quidditch uniforms.  They sat silently on the edge of Buffy's bed.  

Draco sighed and reached across to grab hold of Buffy's hand.

"So…you leave tomorrow," he said.

"I know," Buffy whispered, close to tears.  She refused to look up at him, knowing that if she looked at him, she would completely break down.

Draco swallowed hard.  He didn't understand why fate had been so cruel to him.  He had been given an amazing gift, and to have it yanked away from him was beyond cruel.

"Will I ever see you again?" he asked quietly.

Buffy had only ever heard him sound so vulnerable once before in her entire life.  He'd been speaking about his older and now deceased brother, and it seemed that the only thing that could compare to that loss was Buffy's departure.  

"You will," she promised him.  "I mean…once you get your apparating license, you'll be able to come and visit me pretty easily."

Draco nodded thankfully.  He made a mental note to go and get his license the moment he graduated from Hogwarts.  The platinum blonde Slytherin boy breathed in deeply.  He'd been taught from an early age that emotions made you weak, and he could understand why someone would think that.  He'd never felt more vulnerable in his life as he did at that exact moment, and it was because he knew he needed to tell Buffy of the epiphany he'd had earlier that week.

"Buffy?" he began nervously.  "If I tell you something…will you swear that you won't laugh?"

Buffy looked at her boyfriend to try and read his eyes, but he'd schooled himself to block his emotions.  She nodded and Draco brought down his walls, his eyes softening.  Draco brought his hand up to gently touch Buffy's cheek, shifting forward so that their foreheads touched softly.

"I love you," he whispered.  

Buffy's breath caught in her throat and she could have sworn that her heart skipped a beat.  A slow smile spread across her face and she ducked her head and tilted her chin, their lips touching softly.

"I love you too," she replied, knowing that it was completely true.

She'd thought that after loving Angel, she would never be able to love anyone else ever again.  But, after meeting Draco and getting to know him and share in his life, she'd been proven wrong.  He'd been there for her again and again, and she'd opened up to him as much as she could.  She liked the way that they were equals, rather than him seeing her as someone to be coddled and protected.  

She loved him, plain and simple.  Seeing Angel and getting closure with him had been incredibly therapeutic for her.  She'd been able to realise that that chapter of her life with Angel was complete and now she could completely devote herself to Draco.  She just hated that her time with Draco was about to come to an end.

Draco swallowed hard, an unfamiliar tightness in his chest beginning to swell as tears gathered in his eyes.

"I don't want you to leave," he whispered.

"I don't want me to leave either," she replied.

"Promise you won't forget me."

She kissed him hard, and Draco brought his hand up to tangle in her hair, the kiss lasting for minutes on end, leaving the both of them breathless and starving for more.  They pulled apart and looked at each other, both of them silently communicating their wants and needs to each other.  

Buffy would be leaving in the morning, and by some unspoken agreement, they both knew what was about to happen.  Buffy was leaving, but they wished to seal their love and devotion for one another.  

Draco leant forward, and the kiss they shared was gentler, but with no less passion.  Buffy sighed contentedly into the kiss, shifting herself to that she was seated in Draco's lap, straddling him.  

"Is your door locked?" Draco whispered, his lips never leaving Buffy's.

The Slayer could barely think straight, but she cast her mind back to when they'd entered the room.  She groaned, half in dismay, half in pleasure as Draco's lips moved to suckle at her neck.  She reached for her wand and aimed it towards the door.

"_Colloportus._"

The door sealed itself closed and Buffy dropped her wand to the ground, thankful that Draco had had the sense to remember that they could have been interrupted at any time.  

Draco's hands moved beneath Buffy's sweater and he slowly pulled it off her, before quickly divesting himself of his own sweater as well.  Buffy's hands roamed Draco's chest, her lips pressing nipping kisses across his skin.  Draco lifted Buffy and twisted them so that he was laying atop her, his fingers fumbling with the button and zipper of her pants.

The Slayer impatiently helped Draco to remove the rest of the Quidditch uniforms, leaving both of them only in their underwear.  With shaking hands, Draco pulled the straps of Buffy's bra down her arms, his finger tips skimming Buffy's skin making her shiver in anticipation.  He smiled at her nervously, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the sight of her slim and tanned body.

"God you're beautiful," he breathed quietly.

Buffy just smiled and helped Draco to discard his black silken boxer shorts as she divested herself of her panties, their hands exploring each other, learning the curves, bumps and scars that made up their lovers skin as they kissed deeply.  

They pulled back endless moments later, their eyes meeting.  They smiled at each other and hesitated a moment, their eyes seeking confirmation from the other.  They smiled simultaneously and finally stopped talking.

------------------------

**Sunday, 21st March 1999**

(Told you I can't write it.  Half-hearted attempt.  My apologies at how badly I suck.)

Buffy and Draco were awoken by a frantic knocking on the door.  Buffy groaned, her eyes still closed, not wanting to register the sound behind the door.  Draco sighed and pulled Buffy closer to him, his legs tucked behind hers, the two of them spooning together.

"Aren't you glad we locked that door?" Draco whispered, chuckling a little.

Buffy laughed and nodded, stretching against Draco luxuriously.  Draco's breath caught in his throat and he pulled Buffy even closer.

"C'mon Buffy!  Open the door!" Blaise yelled from the Slytherin corridor.  "I know you're in there!"

Buffy sighed.  "This wasn't quite how I'd imagined this morning to go."

"Me neither," Draco replied.  

The knocking didn't cease and Buffy knew that Blaise was going to be persistant about it.  She sighed and reluctantly pulled away from Draco, slipping out from beneath the covers.  Draco stared at her naked body appreciatively, sighing in disappointment as Buffy pulled on a pair of jeans and shirt and made her way over to the door.  Draco pulled the sheet up to cover his lower body, not particularly wanting Blaise to see him in all of his glory.

Buffy opened the door, and Blaise barged in before coming to a complete halt as she saw Draco lounging in Buffy's bed.  Blaise turned to look at the Slayer, who'd suddenly gone an interesting shade of red.  Blaise just laughed, shaking her head.

"Good for you two," she said, genuinely happy for the couple.  She turned away from Draco and looked to her best friend.  "I want details later."

Buffy rolled her eyes but nodded, ignoring Draco's protesting outburst.  

"Are you coming down for breakfast?" Blaise asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Just give us a few minutes to get ready.  We'll be down there."

Blaise nodded, snuck one last look at Draco's naked chest and left the room.  

Buffy turned back to the bed and walked over, ripping the covers away from Draco.  

"Hey!" he complained loudly.  

Buffy just smiled, and let out a surprised yelp when Draco grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto the bed.  They kissed again, both of them lost in the feelings of it, the kiss slowing down until they remained within a half-inch of each other.  

"Your last Hogwarts breakfast," Draco mused.

Buffy sighed and nodded.  "Yeah.  And then I go home."

Draco sighed and tried to quell the blooming sadness that was gathering in the pit of his stomach.  He felt as though he wanted to throw up the contents of his stomach, and he knew that he would be hard pressed to make it through the day without completely breaking down in tears.

They lingered on the bed in each others embrace for a moment longer before finally letting go of each other and dressing for breakfast.  Draco made a quick detour to his own room to get new clothes, knowing that it would be too obvious to go down to breakfast in his Quidditch robes from the day before.  

They made their way down to the Great Hall and stole a quick kiss before entering the huge double doors that led into the room where Buffy and Draco had first met.  

The entire student body and most of the Professors stood upon the entrance of the Slytherin duo, applause, wolf-whistles and catcalls echoing throughout the hall.  The couple looked at each other in confusion.  It wasn't until they spotted the huge sign at the Slytherin table that they realised what the cheering was for.

The sign read: "Goodbye Buffy.  We'll miss you."

Buffy smiled and felt tears well in her eyes.  She looked up to where Professor Dumbledore was seated.  He raised his goblet and nodded at her, silently toasting her.  He winked at her, silently thanking her for uniting the houses together in one common cause.  It would still take years before the four houses would ever be united completely, but they seemed to be well on their way towards finally letting old grudges rest.

Buffy took a seat between Draco and Blaise and the cheering died down.  Professor Dumbledore stood and again raised his goblet.

"I have no doubt that you are all aware of Buffy Summers imminent departure this very afternoon," Dumbledore began.  "So, as an entire school and as one family, let us raise our glasses in a toast to Miss Summers.  We wish you a fond farewell and the best of luck when you return back home.  Here's to Buffy."

Buffy's tears fell as hundreds of glass goblets clinked together and the toast was repeated.  Draco squeezed her hand beneath the table and brought his hand up to Buffy's cheek to gently dab her tears away.

"I think they like you," Draco whispered, forcing a smile to his face, trying to keep his own tears from falling.

Buffy half-laughed, half-sobbed and nodded.  

"You won't forget us will you?" Blaise asked.

Buffy just grinned and shook her head.  "As if I ever could?"

-----

As always, my thanks to John for letting me know where my downfalls are! *lol* ;)  This chapter may have seriously sucked without ur input.  And my extreme thanks to everyone for your reviews and all that sorta stuff.  Seriously blown away by yaz all.  Three chapters to go!  Huzzah.

Toodles.

K.

Shameless plug: Check out the next part of the Murderer's Daughter/Witch's Family series, 'A Wizard's Slayer'.  (Oh please, like shame is something to be proud of.')

K.


	48. Home Again

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: HOME AGAIN

**Sunday, 21st March 1999**

After a tearful farewell with her fellow Slytherins, and the several other people from different houses that she'd befriended over the previous months, Buffy lugged her belongings into the Entrance Hall, Draco hugging her tightly, wanting to spend his last few minutes with his girlfriend in his arms.

Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall approached her and Buffy swallowed nervously.  She turned her attention to the first three magical people she'd met in the wizarding world.

"Are you ready?" Professor McGonagall asked kindly.

Buffy shook her head.  "No."

"My dear girl, you have definitely made an impact on all of us," McGonagall said.  "I have no doubt that you will go far."

"Thank you Professor," Buffy whispered.

Professor Snape looked a little uncomfortable at the emotional display, but even he had been impressed by the Slayer.  She had risen far above the expectations that had been placed upon her.  He coughed slightly and reached into his robes, pulling out a small silver box and handing it to the Slayer.  She opened the box curiously and was surprised to see two different vials of potions laying encased in velvet.

"What are they?" she asked.

"The first is to help you sleep," Snape explained.  "The second is…incredibly rare.  And very valuable, so _don't_ lose it."

Buffy chuckled slightly at Snape's tone of voice.  He was the perfect imitation of Giles.  "But what is it?" she asked, holding the vial up to have a closer look at the completely clear liquid within the glass bottle.

"Phoenix tears," Dumbledore answered.  "Phoenix's tears have immense healing capacity." 

"I thought I couldn't use magic to heal," Buffy said.

"Fawkes' tears aren't exactly magical," the Headmaster said.  "They're more mystical.  And I wouldn't suggest using these unless you are in very real trouble and fear that your natural healing abilities will not help you."

"The glass has been charmed so that it is completely unbreakable.  Even if you dropped it from fifty feet in the air, you wouldn't be able to smash the glass," Snape added

Buffy chuckled a little.  She hesitated for a moment before stepping away from Draco and giving the Potions Master a very quick hug.  Dumbledore, McGonagall and Draco all hid their smiles at the stunned expression on Snape's face.  

"You turned out alright, Professor Snape," Buffy said genuinely.

Snape smirked.  "As did you Miss Summers."

Professor Dumbledore handed Buffy a white handkerchief.  

"Your ticket home," he explained, as Buffy unwrapped the white cloth to find a beautiful silver pen, engraved with the Hogwarts motto 'Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus'.

Buffy breathed in deeply and ensured that she didn't touch the item just yet.  She turned to Draco and smiled at him as best as she could.  She reached out with shaky hands to touch the single tear that had fallen from his eyes.  

"You're crying," she whispered.

"That's cos you're leaving," he explained.  

Buffy swallowed hard and hugged Draco tightly, their lips meeting for what they knew would be their last kiss for however long it would be before they saw each other again.  

Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall quietly left the two teens alone, knowing that they didn't need an audience for their final farewells.  

"Promise you'll write to me," Buffy whispered.

"Every day," he swore.

"And you'll think of me?"

"Every minute."

"And miss me?"

"Every second."

They kissed one final time before Draco finally and very reluctantly let her go.  The Slyer stepped back and grabbed hold of her suitcase.  Her eyes met Draco's, and neither teen looked away as Buffy removed the white handkerchief from the pen.  Her fingers touched the cool silver and within the blink of an eye, Draco was alone in the Entrance Hall.

------------------------

As reluctant as Buffy had been to leave Hogwarts, suddenly appearing in the middle of the Sunnydale Library with the Scoobies gathered at the table, researching the latest demon was a soothing sight.  She smiled softly and drank in the sight of her friends who had yet to notice her.  

She wiped the tears from her eyes and placed her luggage down, the thunk of the suitcase hitting the floor startling the Scoobies out of their research.  

"Buffy!" 

The cry of her name was simultaneous from all four Scoobies as well as Giles.  The five of them raced over to her, hugging her tightly.  After tears and hugs and friendly kisses to the cheek later, Buffy was settled down at the table, her legs tucked beneath her in her favourite chair, a book across her lap and a smile on her face.  In some ways, it was as though she'd never left.

Her hand absently went up to fiddle with the dragon pendant that Draco had given to her the week after they'd begun dating.  Her hand closed around it, and the pain in her heart was a sharp reminder that she had been gone.  She had formed friendship outside of the Scoobies and she'd had to leave them behind to come back to the 'real' world.  

Buffy stood and walked up the stairs to hide behind the stacks, her excuse was to look for a new book.  Willow glanced worriedly at the Scoobies before moving to follow the Slayer.

When the redheaded Wiccan found Buffy, the Slayer was sitting with her back leaning against a bookshelf, her knees around her chest as she looked at the silver dragon adorning the leather cord around her neck.  Willow took a seat beside her best friend and laid a gentle hand on Buffy's knee.

"You okay?" Willow asked.

Buffy looked across at her best friend and managed to genuinely smile at Willow.  While she may have been missing Draco and Blaise and Hermione and everyone else from Hogwarts, Sunnydale was still her home, and the Scoobies were still her family.

"Yeah," Buffy replied softly.  "It's weird.  For the first few weeks, all I wanted to do was come home, and…"

"And now that you're here, all you want to do is go back?" Willow finished.

"I want it all Will," Buffy admitted.  "You and the Scoobs, Draco and Blaise and Hogwarts.  Quidditch and Slaying and Potions and Sunnydale High.  I want both worlds."

Willow nodded understandingly.  She had seen first hand the way that Buffy had fit into Hogwarts.  She had seen the love that Buffy and Draco shared, and she could understand that Buffy wanted to stay for that newly-formed bond.  

"You'll see him again Buffy, I know it," Willow said, trying to assure her best friend.

Buffy nodded and wiped at her tears.  "I know.  I just…I just kinda wish that fate would be kind to me, just _once_, you know.  Both times that I've found love, I've had to let it go."

"You aren't letting Draco go," Willow said.  "You're just…you're just doing a long-distance relationship for a while.  And, yeah it'll be hard, but…but I know you Buffy.  You've always given your all for things you really want.  And I know that you really want to be with him, so…so, you will be.  And that's all there is to it."

Buffy smiled and leant her head against Willow's shoulder, taking the girls words to heart.

"I really missed you Wills," Buffy said.

Willow smiled and leant her head against the top of Buffy's.  "I missed you too."

------------------------

"So," Buffy said, taking her seat at the table once more.  "The invincible Mayor…what's happening there?"

The Scoobies all groaned in unison.  Buffy laughed a little at their reaction and looked to Giles for an explanation.

"Well…thus far, what we've been able to gather about him is that he wishes to complete a ritual that is to take place on Graduation Day.  He wishes to Ascend.  That is, he wishes to become a pure demon."

"Pure?" Buffy repeated.

"The uh, vampires and demons that you've faced are merely hybrids.  They're tainted with humanity, especially vampires.  A pure demon is devoid of any human feature," Giles explained.  

Buffy whistled softly under her breath.  She had to admit that she hadn't been expecting that at all.  When she'd been told that the Mayor was evil she'd been expecting something far less, like dark rituals to summon demons.  She hadn't expected the Mayor to wish to become a demon himself.

"What demon?" Buffy asked.

Giles shook his head.  "We're still researching.  We've managed to uh…eliminate several possibilities, but-"

"But considering how many different types of demons there are, it's still not looking too good," Buffy finished.

Giles nodded.  "Quite."

"And no-one's talking?  Vamps, demons or whatnot?" Buffy asked.  

"Nada," Xander replied.  "Me and dead-boy checked out Willie's a coupla times, but…we came up with jack-squat."

Buffy sighed.  Just what she needed.  An end of the world party on her big homecoming.  

"Well…I'll do a patrol tonight.  Maybe the demons will start talking when they see the Slayer back in town," Buffy said, hoping that she was right.  "If that fails, then…we'll be right back to where we are now."

------------------------

Buffy had gone home, and after a teary reunion with her mother, and a huge five-course meal, Buffy was finally allowed out of the house, reluctantly of course.  She made a sweep through the cemeteries, surprised by how easily she was able to get back into the swing of things.  'Plunge and move-on' as Giles would say.  She'd missed fighting, and being back in the thick of it was exhilarating.  

"Slayer!" a vampire announced.

Buffy rolled her eyes, wondering why vampires seemed to want to keep reminding her of that fact.  She turned to meet the voice and was surprised to see that she recognised the vampire that had spoken.

"Trick," she said flatly.

Trick bowed slightly before standing to his full height and straightening his tie.  

"Welcome home," Trick said, an amused smile on his face.

"I can't believe you haven't been dusted yet," Buffy said in disgust.

The two foes began circling each other, Buffy tightening the grip on her stake.  She'd fought Trick several other times before, and he'd always managed to escape.  She hated that he kept slipping from between her fingers.

"I can't believe they let you come home," Trick retorted.  "A felon such as yourself."

Buffy's eyes narrowed.  "What the hell would you know about that?"

"More than you think," Trick replied cockily.  

"What, is there some vamps monthly newsletter or something?" Buffy asked.

"Something like that," Trick replied, the first to strike out in their fight.  Buffy ducked his fist and rallied with a jab to Trick's ribs, followed by a sweeping kick that Trick jumped.  Buffy backhanded the vampire, sending him stumbling.

He regrouped and the two of them fought viciously, each of them giving all they had and holding back nothing.  Buffy threw Trick into a nearby tree, a lose branch snagging a hole in Trick's suit.  He looked down at the hole in dismay.

"This is a thousand dollar suit," he complained.

Buffy just rolled her eyes and took advantage of Trick's distraction.   She grabbed his arm and twisted it behind the vampire's back, shoving him into a tree and pinning him so that he couldn't move at all.

"What's your secret, Trick?" Buffy demanded.  "Tell me why you're still in Sunnydale.  Who do you work for?"

"I work for myself," Trick replied, grunting in pain as Buffy slammed him against the tree.  Buffy pressed her stake into Trick's back, aimed at his heart.

"Who do you work for?" Buffy asked again, quickly losing her patience.

"You're gonna kill me anyway, why bother telling you?" Trick asked.

Buffy sighed.  She pulled him back and shoved him into the tree again, making him wince in pain.  Buffy didn't know what possessed her, but she found herself patting the vampire down, searching for weapons or other such things.  She found two manila folders at Trick's back.  He protested as Buffy removed the folders from beneath the vampires jacket.  She threw it to the ground, and Trick struggled even more to try and free himself.

"You were right when you said I was gonna kill you," Buffy said, her voice fairly cheerful for someone who was holding a vampire with an unbreakable grip.

Trick groaned and knew that this was the end for him.  He felt the stake penetrate his back and his entire body began to crumble to dust.  "Oh no…this is not good."

Buffy picked up the two folders, one of them belonging to a Professor Lester Wirth, and the other with the City Hall insignia on it.  She opened up the City Hall folder and scanned the contents of it, a smile slowly forming on her face.

Buffy turned to look at the pile of dust, wondering if the Powers had finally cut her a break.  She'd killed one of Wilkins' men.  She had a set of files, which would hopefully lead them in the right direction.  She flipped through the other folder that belonged to Lester Wirth, but couldn't understand a word of what it was saying.  She shrugged and tucked it under her arm, knowing that Giles would hopefully be able to make sense of it.

------------------------

"You killed Trick?" Angel asked incredulously.

Buffy shrugged and nodded.  "Yeah?  Why?"

Angel shook his head.  "No reason.  I just…he kept eluding me is all." 

Buffy just shook her head.  She knew that Angel was about two seconds away from pouting childishly.  She ignored it and turned her attention back to Giles who was flipping through the files that she'd taken from the now dusted vampire Trick.

"Interesting," Giles said quietly to himself.

"What's interesting?" Buffy asked.  "All I understood from that thing was the commas."

"Whoever wrote this report was an archaeologist," Giles explained.  "He…o-or she, discovered a very old set of bones at the bottom of a lava bed.  They uh…they believe that whatever left the bones was a heretofore undiscovered breed of dinosaur."

"Dinosaur?" Willow repeated.  "Why would the Mayor want a file on dinosaurs?"

Buffy shook her head.  "He didn't."

"It wasn't a dinosaur," Oz finished.

"You mean…it was the demon that the Mayor's going to turn into?" Willow asked.

Giles nodded.  "It's probable.  Why else would the Mayor wish for files on this?  He wished to keep us from discovering it."

"Cos he knows that the demon can be killed," Buffy said, her gut instinct leading her to the conclusion.  "He's invincible now, but as soon as he ascends, he can be killed."

Xander snorted with laughter.  "Anyone got a mountain of lava just lying around?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark, but knew that Xander was right.  If it had taken a volcanic explosion to kill the demon the last time it had shown it's face, she wasn't entirely sure what it would take to kill the demon this time around.

---

Sorry for the delay.  Hope you're enjoying this thing!

Toodles.

K.

PS. Two chapters left.  Huzzah.


	49. Graduation

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: GRADUATION

Friday, 15th May 1999 

For a month and a half, the Scoobies worked around the clock trying to think of ways to destroy the Mayor.  They monitored Richard Wilkins' actions, trying to work out a way to stop the Ascension from even happening at all.  At one stage, they'd discovered an important factor to the Mayor's ritual, the Box of Gavrok, and they'd managed to get their hands on the box.  When the plan had gone sour and Willow had been captured, they'd given the box up to ensure Willow's safety, and were thus back at square one.

With the research that Buffy had pilfered off the now dusty Trick, they'd discovered the breed of demon that they believed the Mayor was to become.  The demon was a snake-like creature that would be at least seventy feet long, and incredibly hard to kill.

It was only in the last few days before Graduation that a plan was even formulated.  And even then, the plan was as risky as they came.  They'd discovered that the Ascension would take place in the middle of the afternoon, but the Graduation Ceremony that Wilkins was going to use as a feeding ground would be held indoors in the gymnasium meant that Angel could still be part of the plan.  

Xander's question of where to find a mountain of lava had been weighing heavily on Buffy's mind, and it was only after an innocent comment in one of Draco's letters to Buffy that the Slayer even came up with what she planned to do.  '_It's too bad you never learned any spells to make things explode…it would have come in handy.'_  No, Buffy had never learnt spells.  But that didn't mean that muggles were unable to destroy things just as well as wizards.

Giles wasn't entirely happy to hear what Buffy had in mind.  Destroying the school was an insane idea, but at that point in time it was all they had.  

"How did you gonna convince Snyder to hold the assembly in the gym?" Xander asked.

Giles smirked a little.  Buffy grinned at her Watcher and Xander's eyes widened as he saw the exchange.  

"Ripper comes out to play," Xander commented, nodding approvingly.  "Alright G-man."

Giles glared at the boy who immediately backed down.  In actual fact, Giles had done very little.  He just happened to be very good friends with the man who published the weather forecast.  He'd bribed the man into predicting thunderstorms for Graduation Day, and Principal Snyder had had no other choice but to move it indoors.  And, even though the day had turned out to be perfectly sunny, the gymnasium was already set up, and it was too late to move everything outside.

"The main problem is going to be ensuring that the students get out of the gymnasium in time," Giles said, getting the group back on track.

Buffy looked to the Scoobies.  "That's where you guys will come in," she explained.  "I need all of you guys at the exits, making sure that everyone gets out and that no one else can get in."

Willow perked up slightly.  "I can do a de-invite spell on the gym," she announced happily.  "We'd hafta give Angel an invitation in, but it would mean that no other vampires could come in."

"That's pretty brill, Will," Xander complimented her.  

"So, what's our 'Plan B'?" Oz asked.

The room went silent.  Buffy sighed and looked away.  She knew that if they failed in destroying the gym and taking the Mayor out in one fell swoop, they would be doomed.  They had one shot to do this, and Buffy didn't want to think about what would happen if they missed their window of opportunity.

"There isn't one," Buffy admitted quietly.

"You'll need to start getting the students out of the gym as soon as the Mayor begins the transformation," Giles said quickly, covering up their lack of back-up plan.  He wasn't any happier about the lack of anther plan than the others, but there wasn't much else they could really do to defeat the Mayor.

"We don't want _anyone_ in that gym when he finishes ascending," Buffy said.  

"Except you, you mean," Cordelia said.

Buffy breathed in deeply.  She was nervous and scared as hell, but that was the plan.  Distract the Mayor for as long as possible while the students and parents got the hell out of the gym.  When that was done, Buffy would flee as quickly as possible and Giles would be the one to press the plunger on the numerous explosive devices that they'd set up around the gym, attaching them to the floors, the walls and the ceiling.  They needed to blast the hell out of the gym to ensure that the Mayor would be killed completely.

"Except me," Buffy agreed.  The Slayer looked around the room at her friends, thanking the Higher Powers that she'd been blessed with so many loyal people who were willing to stand by her through absolutely everything. 

The Scoobies fell silent again, each of them thinking about the many ways this plan could go horribly wrong.  Surprisingly it was Oz who spoke up first.

"Will and I should go and start those spells for the gym."

Willow nodded and the young couple left the library, heading towards the gym.  They had only four hours before the Graduation Ceremony began.  

"What can Cordy and I do?" Xander asked.

"Scout out the exits," Buffy instructed.  "Make sure there's nothing blocking them.  Put a supply of weapons near where you'll be standing so that you won't run out, and make sure you find a shady exit for Angel."

Xander nodded, refraining from making any comments about Angel's sunlight allergy.  He and Cordy left, clutching at each other's hands nervously.  

Angel and Giles looked at Buffy who was looking over the blueprints of the gym, staring at the markers of where they'd set up the explosives.

"It'll be okay Buffy," Angel assured her.

Buffy sighed and nodded.  "I hope you're right.  Cos it's not just our lives on the line here.  It's all of Sunnydale.  Hell, all the world really.  And, as much as I wish we had a more…feasible plan…well, we don't."

Giles placed a fatherly hand on Buffy's shoulder.  "You did the right thing.  Exchanging the Box for Willow," Giles explained.  

Buffy breathed in deeply and nodded.  She just wished they'd had a chance to destroy the Box of Gavrok, but Willow's life had been their first priority.  Buffy had to admit that she was still a little worried that they'd made a mistake, but she knew that she wouldn't risk her best friend's life for anything.  Whatever happened now happened, and that was all there was to it.  All they could do now was hope that everything turned out alright.

"Let's just pray that this goes to plan." 

--- 

Okay, this chapter is damn short, and…well, I feel generous.  I'll give you the final chapter as well.


	50. Invitations

CHAPTER FIFTY: INVITATIONS

Friday, 15th May 1999 

The Scoobies were spread throughout the gym, each of them sitting on opposite sides of the rooms, all of them at the end of the aisles next to the nearest exits.  If anyone noticed that none of them were seated together, no one was saying anything.  

Xander had pulled aside the less scholarly students and had convinced them to play hooky for the Graduation Ceremony, telling them that the diplomas were sent in the mail, and the piece of paper they received on stage was actually blank.  Ten of the seventy graduating students had been convinced to go to the beach for the afternoon, which left the Scoobies with less people to deal with.

The Scoobies own parents weren't at the Ceremony.  Joyce Summers had been convinced to leave town, even though she wasn't all that happy about it.  The Rosenburg's hadn't been informed of the Ceremony, and hadn't bothered to ask Willow about it.  They were out of town as well.  Xander's parents hadn't bothered showing up either and Oz's parents were laid-back enough to acquiesce to Oz's request for them to not attend.  The Chase's had put up more of a fight, but Cordelia had talked them out of attending.

The Scoobies were all exchanging glances, each of them nervous about what would happen in just a few moments.

"Well. What a day this is!" the Mayor said from on stage. "Special day. Today is our centennial the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale, and I know what that means to all you kids: not a darn thing. Because today something much more important happens: today you all graduate from high school. Today all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over. And what's a hundred years of history compared to that?"

Buffy groaned inwardly.  He was going to do the whole speech!  _Evil._

"It's been a long road getting here," the Mayor continued. "For you…for Sunnydale. There has been achievement, joy, good times…and now…we're at the Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just…distance travelled? Time spent? No. It's what happens on the way, it's the things that happen to you. At the end of the journey you're not the same. Today is about change.  Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do. You ascend…to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing."

Buffy tensed.  To everyone else in the audience, Wilkins' was merely giving a Graduation speech, but to the Scoobies and to the Slayer, there was more to it than that.  

"And so as we look back on-" the Mayor tried to continue, but he clutched his stomach as something painful ripped through him.  "On the events that brought us to this day."  
  


Buffy and the Scoobies exchanged glances and sat forward in their seats, Buffy preparing to rid herself of the maroon Graduation gown.  She pulled her cap off and straightened out her hair.  

"We…" he stopped again.  The students in the seats began whispering to each other in concern.  Buffy shot a look towards the others, silently telling them with a head movement to begin what they'd prepared.  

Some of the students were beginning to panic, and considering that they'd all grown up on the hellmouth, they weren't completely oblivious to what went on within the town.  Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia all opened up the different exits they were manning and began encouraging students to file out the doors.  Snyder wasn't happy about the sudden evacuation.

"Sit down!  Get back here!" he yelled.

"We must all…" the Mayor stopped and yelled in pain.  He gave a small smile and tried to straighten up.  "It has begun. My destiny. It's a little sooner then I expected I had this whole section on civic pride…but I guess we'll just skip to the big finish!"

It took less than ten seconds for the Mayor to transform from a regular human into a seventy foot long, purely demon snake.  The top of the snake's head hit the roof of the gymnasium, and it ducked down to strike at the few remaining students.  Those brave enough to have stayed suddenly lost their courage and ducked and weaved through the snake's attacking mouth, racing for the doors and into the sunshine outside.

Angel stepped out from the shadows and threw Buffy the weapons that they'd managed to 'borrow' from the army base once again.  The Vampire and the Slayer stood back and used flame throwers on the large snake, the demon screeching in agitation as the flames burnt it's scales.

The Mayor, seeing Angel as one of it's attackers suddenly moved to crash it's head into the roof, creating a massive hole, the sunlight streaming in.  Angel quickly rolled into the shadows.  The snake slammed through the roof again, debris falling around the vampire and Slayer.  Angel could tell that the Mayor's next attack on the roof would take out the one exit that he could safely leave through.  Buffy saw it too.

"Angel, run!  Tell Giles five minutes!"

Angel ran, leaving Buffy alone with the seventy-foot tall snake.  The Mayor tried one last attack on the roof, tiles and timber falling throughout the gymnasium.  Buffy ducked and dodged, but sighed in relief when Angel managed to leave the gymnasium without turning into a pile of dust.

"Is that the best you've got, Dick?!" she yelled angrily at the demon.

The snake roared and struck towards her, Buffy timing it perfectly and hitting the Mayor's mouth with a jet of fire.  It lunged towards her, and she barely managed to throw herself out of harm's way.  

She was starting to regret the plan, and knew that she needed to leave the gym very soon if she wanted to get out of this battle alive.  The effort that she'd needed to keep out of the way of falling building debris had tired her slightly, and she knew that the Mayor would easily destroy the building, and make their explosives useless.  The Scoobies hadn't factored in the Mayor's destructive nature, and Buffy hadn't expected Angel to be taken out of the game so early.

She sent another stream of fire at the snake, and tried to fire the flamethrower again, but the weapon stopped.  Without even trying to get it up and running again, she threw the heavy pack to the ground and made a dash for an exit.  The snake was faster though, and cut her off, using its body as a blocker.  She turned and raced towards another exit, but the Mayor anticipated her attack and had coiled itself around the building, blocking off all the exits as it circled the room.  

He'd effectively trapped Buffy inside the gym with no real weapon except a crossbow and her various other arsenal that would only be useful on vampires.

Her situation could be summed up in exactly one word.  "Shit."

------------------------

"He's destroying the gym!" Angel yelled as he neared Giles' hiding place, a shady area of the quadrangle.  Xander, Willow, Cordelia and Oz had all joined Giles there, the meeting place they were all supposed to congregate at.

"Where's Buffy?" Xander yelled, preparing himself to run to the gym and pull the Slayer out of there himself.

"She's still inside," Angel explained.  "She said to give her five minutes."

Giles looked at his watch and noted the time.  Five minutes seemed like absolutely no tine at all.  

Angel grabbed hold of Xander as the teenager tried to rush past him.  "You can't go back in there!"

"Are you insane!" Xander yelled.  "Buffy's in there!"

"He's trapped her inside," Angel said quietly.  "She can't get out.  And no one can get back in."

The Scoobies fell silent.  They'd all feared this scenario.  Giles swallowed hard, his hand on the plunger.  They had one shot at destroying the Mayor, and Buffy had made Giles swear that he would take that shot, no matter what.  

"You can't!" Willow yelled, seeing Giles' itching fingers.  "You'll kill her."

Giles closed his eyes, unable to witness the expressions of the others staring at him accusingly.  He was a Watcher.  And sometimes that meant saying and doing things that other people couldn't.  Things that no one should have to do.  

He took a deep breath and prayed that God, and his Slayer, would forgive him.  He glanced at his watch.  Two and a half minutes.

------------------------

Buffy knew she was in trouble, that was fairly obvious.  She knew that Angel would follow her wishes and give Giles the time limit of five minutes, which meant that she had about two minutes to get the hell out of the gym before it completely exploded.  The only problem was, the exits were blocked, and there was no way she could make it out through the roof.

The snake seemed to be quite happy to continue circling her, snapping its jaws in her direction but not really attacking.  Buffy aimed her crossbow at the snake's tail and fired, the bolt embedding itself into the thick scales of the rear-end of the snake.  The tail flew into the air as Buffy had planned, but it came flying down faster than Buffy had anticipated.  She ducked, but was clipped by the tail, sending her flying across the room and into another part of the snake.  She stood, slightly disorientated.

She needed a miracle, and she needed one soon.

Buffy reloaded the crossbow with two bolts and waited until the snake's tail was in front of an exit.  She sent one bolt towards the tail and the tail flew into the air.  She lunged towards the exit, but the Mayor shot forward, his fangs tearing into Buffy's shoulder.  She yelled out in pain and twisted sharply, bringing her right hand up to shoot her crossbow bolt into the snake's mouth.  

The snake reared backwards in pain, but left a long fang embedded in Buffy's shoulder.  Her hand clutched at her wound, blood dripping through her fingers.  She quickly ripped the fang out of her shoulder, but the venom was quickly making it's way through her body.  The snake hovered above her, and Buffy could tell that the next blow she wouldn't be so lucky. 

With trembling hands and foggy vision, she reloaded the crossbow, wanting to be ready for the next attack.

A loud crack startled both Slayer and snake, but the snake's attention was brought quickly back to the Slayer, who kept staring at the newcomer to the fight.  

Draco Malfoy's eyes widened the moment he apparated into the gymnasium, wand in one hand, his Nimbus 2001 in the other.  He looked up at the snake and tried to overcome his immense fear.  He knew that his girlfriend was about to lose this fight unless he helped her out of it.  Buffy was staring at him in shock, and he resisted the urge to grin widely at her.  There would be time for that later.

He went to call out a warning to her when he saw the snake descend upon her.  Instead, he pointed his wand at the girl he loved and prayed she would understand.

"_Everte status!"_  

Buffy went flying across the gymnasium, hitting the other end of the snake.  The Mayor's fangs clamped around thin air in the exact spot that Buffy had been standing before.  She shot Draco a thankful look.

"We gotta get outta here!" Buffy yelled.

"What about him?!" Draco asked.

Buffy shook her head, checking her watch.  Thirty seconds.  "We gotta go now!  This whole place is gonna explode!"

Draco's eyes widened.  He nodded and raced to where Buffy was standing, her hand still clutching her shoulder as blood stained her clothes.  His eyes widened as he saw the amount of blood his girlfriend was losing.  

"You're bleeding," he said frantically.

"Really not the time Drake," she said through gritted teeth.  

Draco pushed past his worry about Buffy's blood loss and grabbed hold of his girlfriend.  He positioned his Nimbus broom beneath them and gripped Buffy tightly around the waits.  He glanced up at the Mayor snake and didn't hesitate for even a millisecond when he saw the Mayor's fangs descending upon them.  He pushed off the ground and the broom flew upwards, through the now open roof.  With barely a second to spare, they cleared the gymnasium as the explosives set around the building went off.

Draco swerved to miss flying pieces of either the building or the exploded Mayor and quickly spotted the familiar faces of the Scoobies.  He lowered the broom and landed gently, immediately turning to Buffy whose breathing was becoming more laboured by the second.

The Scoobies all cried out the Slayer's name and Buffy dropped to her knees, Draco barely managing to catch her.  He lowered her gently to the ground.  The snake's fang fell from Buffy's limp hand.  She hadn't even been aware that she was still holding it.  

"Oh god," Willow whispered, tears in her eyes.

Draco pulled off his Hogwarts cloak and screwed it into a ball, pressing it firmly against Buffy's bleeding shoulder.

"She needs a hospital," Xander said frantically.

Angel was close to tears.  "They won't be able to save her."

Buffy blindly reached out for Draco, and he caught her roaming hand and pressed a fierce kiss to her bleeding knuckles.  

"You did brilliantly Buffy," he whispered.

"Pocket," she whispered.

Draco's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.  His eyes clouded with tears, wishing that his girlfriend was coherent for what he knew would be his last few moments with Buffy.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Pocket…Drake," she said frantically.

Draco pulled back slightly.  He wasn't about to deny a dying person a request and he obligingly reached down into the pocket of Buffy's jeans.  His eyes widened as he felt a small glass vial.  He pulled it out quickly and grinned widely.

He pulled his cloak away from Buffy's shoulder and ripped away what was left of Buffy's shirt, ignoring the Scoobies questions.  His hands were shaking, but he breathed in deeply, knowing that this was their only chance.  He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if he accidentally spilt what was in the vial.

He unscrewed the cap of the vial and tilted the jar, droplets leaking onto Buffy's skin.  She hissed in pain, but steeled herself against it, knowing that it would ultimately help her.

The Scoobies watched in wide-eyed disbelief as the red streaks around Buffy's wounds disappeared, and the open-wound shrank until it had closed itself completely.  Buffy took a deep breath and slowly sat up, Draco supporting her so that she didn't fall down with exhaustion.

"What was that?!" Xander asked, grinning widely.

"Phoenix tears," Buffy replied.  "Never leave home without them."

"Handy," Oz said quietly.  

The group stared at each other a moment longer, each of them taking stock of what had just happened.  As one, they all turned to glance at the destroyed gymnasium.  There was no movement from within, and they could tell from the acrid stench filling the air that the snake demon was toast.  

They grinned at one another and exchanged hugs.  Buffy turned in Draco's arms, wanting to greet him properly.  They kissed deeply for endless moments, each of them feeling a calm contentment rush through their souls as they breathed the other in.  They pulled apart and Draco rested his forehead against Buffy's.

The Slayer suddenly pulled away.

"Y'know, not that I'm not glad to see you or anything, but…what are you doing here?" she asked.  "Isn't your Graduation today?"

Draco nodded.  "We're eight hours ahead, remember?" he reminded her.  "As soon as we finished the ceremony, I knew I had a better place to be."

Buffy smiled, truly touched.  She reached up to stroke Draco's cheek.  

"When did you get your apparating license?" she asked.

"Two hours ago," he admitted.  "I took the Floo to the Ministry, passed the test and…well, decided to test the limits of first time apparition.  I've been studying maps of California for the last few weeks, so I knew where Sunnydale was."

Buffy laughed a little, but knew that without Draco, she would have been well and truly dead.  

"So now what?" Willow asked the platinum haired boy.  "You're not going back to England are you?"

Draco just smirked.  "Let's just say that a certain Slayer convinced me that the muggle world isn't as bad as I thought it was at first.  And from the looks of it, you need all the help you can get."

Buffy turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling with excitement.  "You're staying?"

Draco turned to smile genuinely at her.  There was no sneer, no smirk, no sarcasm.  Just a pure Draco Malfoy smile that only very few people ever got to see.

"You once told me that your responsibilities tied you here," he said.  "I don't have any responsibilities.  My mother's living with relatives, my father's in jail.  The two people I've ever been genuinely close to are either going into Ministry employ, or are right here in Sunnydale.  And of you and Zabini, I think I'd prefer to be around you."

"You'd really move to America, to a muggle town at that, just to be with me?" Buffy asked.

Draco smiled and nodded, capturing Buffy's lips in another kiss.  "Just try and get rid of me."  He kissed her again, the Scoobies all grinning at the cute display.  Angel sighed wistfully but knew that it was better for Buffy this way.  He smiled indulgently and joined the Scoobies in their eye-rolling when the kiss went on for far too long.

When they finally broke apart Draco finally smirked.  "Of course, there's no way that you and I will be living with your mum."

END

---------

See next chapter for thanks and all sorts of fun stuff. Plus a preview of the next fic I will be releasing.

DKG.


	51. Thanks Yous and a Sneak Preview

WYD reviewers.  All of you…in semi-alphabetical order.

So…here we go.  Many thanks to:

A 

Abara

ACDC4913

Amelia Riddle

Adria

Anne

Angel

Adrianna

Amazing Cowgirl Ally

A

Ai No Tenshi

Araz 

AlienSmile13

Aeris-chan

Angelic-devil11

Alienbeing

Amber of Heart

Alfheim

April

Ann of Midnight

Anon Y. Mous

Angus Hardie

A Pyro Girl

A detective named kat

B 

Bellus Lupus

Buffyvampsly

buffy addict

bob the leprechaun

basketball-slayer

Bippo

Buttercup0427

Bookworm88330

beyond-obsession

Buffy

Boss

Bramble SaturnFrost

Buffy Girl100

Brin Summers

BigHarryFan

Buffyloverangelandspike

BrittBeeLynn 

Bagabelles

BuffyandDracoLover

Becks89

BAanne9

C 

Cheese1

c.s

Carmen

ChildrenTheEmuIsNotAToy

Claddagh

Cadence 

ColourMeCallie

Catlimere

Courtney

Courtenay

ChibiChibi

Cataclysmic Candy

Christy

Crying

CoffeeJunkie33

CrazedAuthor14

Cousin Mary

Calendar

Cursed2

Claire

Captain Chameleon

ChangJessica

Claudia

Cheetaluke

CharmedFanatic3000

Charlie

Carolyn

Cassie-bear01

CF28

Captuniv

Chameleon

CraziBlonde

Chrios

Coffee Junkie33  
**D**

d/c 4 eva

Deep Red

Discord

Discordant Dragon

de Hall

Don Sample

Dante de Troy

destiny-ruler

dragonfairy

Digital Calypso

Dawn

Delphine Pryde

Dark Lulu

Dark Countess 1

Dannii

DragonStar

Drusilla'sDoll

Draco-FutureBF  
**E**

Elsawriter

ennui deMorte

Empress Of The Wing

Emily  
EvaBlue

Emerlad32

Ecco

Evilsparky

Emortis13

Elizabeth

Ed715

Ezmerelda

eth

**F**

Fat-Lip

Fiona

Faith5321

Fairy Dragon

Faith76

Faith

Fi Tee

Fadafordgt

Fallen Angel

Feyechelon

FunkyWitchOnFire

FantasyChick  
**G**

green falcon

Gemma

Gabby

goincrzy52

Gansta Lovin

Gryffindor Lady

Gwen8  
**H**

Hulahips

HPSpuffyfan25

HecatonchiresLM

Hecate-goddess

Holly  
**I**

Iris Hitomi

Iamthemann

Imp17  
**J**

Jo

Jill

Judith

Jumpy

Jarald

Jean

Julie

JoeB1451

Jen

Jeansmx

Jeanne

Jacey925

Jen30

jj

JC6

Jaiel

Jamface10

Jillian Ryn

**K**

kiki

kimmie

kcl

KT

Kat

Kristal

Kerry

Kailie-Melcher

Kiki39

KittyAngelGurl

Kennie Gajos

Kiana4

Katarina

Kerry Lee

Kelly

Kailie

Katie  
**L**

Laney

Lynn

Lanfear1

Liliaeth

Lisette

Little John of Locksland

Livia

ladyofthedragons1

lilmakochan

Lady of Hogwarts

Leah

LovesBitch2

Limegreenlion

Lucifer Frost

La Vito

Lilbirdy

Lazybones

Luvin-echo16

Lepetitemort

Lizzieborden

Lost angel92

Lucifer's Angel

**M**

MJ4

manticore-gurl071124  
michelle

morgan15

Meghan

Misskittyfantastico

Mina

morning star

Mina

MJ

Maddy

me & myself

Madison

morgan15

Monkey Poop 

Myst4Drgn

Merak

Mel

Margaret

Mrs Alfred

Mystic Angel-Devil Queen

Misskittyfantastico12889

ManiacPlea

Mango

Miss Kayl

Meagan

Malika

N 

Nikki

Notme

NoAlias

Norwegianne

Notquitesane

Nightash

Nebula  
**O**

Oni

organized-chaos

OverXposed

OnlyMe  
**P**

Penny

Poppie

pointgirl21

pureVenom2

Pfft

Pam

Paul Fritz

Paru-chan

Pixie59

Purest Evil

Prophecy_girl3  
**Q**  
**R**

Rosie W

Ray

random person

Rose

Rikkie

Reese

Renelf

Rogue Faerie

Raven

Raymond

Rose-Riddle3223

redma1

Randall Flagg

Rebecca

RC

Raven of a Took

Riverchic1998

Roswell428

Rood-Roosje

S 

SilenceNowOrator

Sailor C

Sith Sora Jade

Sandy

Sugarlei

Skiez

stoic 

skye 

smurphy

Sam-453

Shae

Stoa

StrangerOfEarth

o0o-Sirius-o0o

Slayer's Slayer

Shnish

STAR2567

Seera

Sarah

stoa 

Spoot

SevereSweetie 

SomeGirl 

Simga1 

Shigrl

Sharia Earthborn

Sera

SpikeGirl33

Seak

Sierra

Silmedin

Shae

Sean

SeleneaD

Saya Raven

Stephanie

Saphrine

Shelli3

Sky

Steph

Selene

Spike/draco-luver

Samantha  
**T**

TrackStarS06

Tigerfanfry

Thessily Thessilonikki

The bratty sister

Terraline Brooks

TheGramarye

Tigereyes913

Tiger Tiger2

Tefla  
**U**

ukume  
**V**

Vixen2

Vld

Vera  
**W**

Wingedslayer03

Wild320

Willow92

Whitewolf3

Wolfheartx

Whyistherumgone

Water Angel1

WiccanOne48  
**X**

X-Lander1  
**Y**

Yanna

Yisulain  
**Z**

Okay, be warned that this list was written ages ago, so if you've reviewed any chapter before chapter 44 in the last few weeks, you may not be on here.  Feel free to step forward and I'll add your names.

Special thanks to everyone who gave me plot-lines, challenges, advice, spelling errors, and all that other stuff.

John, The Gramarye, you rock my world.  I have shamelessly stolen something from your fic which I think you may notice.  I apologise, and gladly give you credit for bottled phoenix tears.  You rock!  Everyone, go read his story Summer of Discontent.  It is brilliant beyond brilliant.

Now…my next project.  Beside's A Witch's Slayer that is.  

My next fic is called 'House of Black.'

Sneak Preview: 

_"So, seriously….and not to sound rude or anything, but…what are you doing here?" Fred asked._

_"Visiting family," Buffy replied enigmatically._

_George reached forward and touched Buffy's blonde hair, stepping forward to have a closer look.  _

_"Nope, it's definitely blonde.  I've never heard of a blonde Weasley before," George said._

_"Your dad's not an accountant is he?" Fred asked suspiciously, remembering their one cousin that no one ever spoke of._

_Buffy giggled, remembering that Hank Summers was an accountant.  But he wasn't her father.  She shook her head.  "He's a wizard all right."_

_"So, you're not a Weasley, you can't be a Granger if your dad's a wizard…so that just leaves…" Fred trailed off.  _

_"You can't be a Potter!" George exclaimed, catching on where his twin had left off._

_"Sure I can," Buffy replied.  "James Potter was my uncle."_

----

It's called 'House of Black' for a reason btw!  Oh, and it's set during Book Four…and after Season Two.  Buffy's seventeen…Hmmm…strange.  Isn't that the age you have to be to enter the Triwizard Tournament?  Coincidence…well, neither Buffy nor JKR believe in coincidence, and neither do I.  Leprechauns though…

Oh, and it's a B/GW pairing.  I'll start posting it on the twenty-fourth of January.  Until then (or until I update AWS…whichever)

Toodles.

DKG.


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